HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Departmental ICT

Susan Kramer: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many  (a) male and  (b) female members of staff of the House were issued with personal digital assistants in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The number of personal digital assistants (PDAs) issued centrally since 2001 to staff of the House of Commons totals 79. A breakdown of the figures by year of purchase and gender of the recipient is given in the following table.
	
		
			   Male  Female  Shared use/no specific owner 
			 2001 0 0 0 
			 2002 10 3 0 
			 2003 0 0 0 
			 2004 1 0 1 
			 2005 10 12 1 
			 2006 8 4 1 
			 2007 10 9 9 
			 Total 39 28 12 
		
	
	A small number of PDAs have been issued over the years to staff directly by House departments before the creation of PICT in 2006, but detailed records do not exist.

House of Commons: Catering

Robert Key: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if he will make a statement on the use of  (a) free-range chicken, eggs, other poultry and pork,  (b) organic food and  (c) fair trade products in House of Commons catering.

Nick Harvey: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) Free-range chicken, eggs, other poultry and pork: free range chicken accounted for 10 per cent. of the catering service's total chicken purchases for calendar year 2007. The catering service has quickly reacted to recent consumer demand and increase in awareness and have now completely moved away from intensively reared poultry. A species called Devonshire Red has been sourced which is corn fed and Freedom Foods (RSPCA) monitored; currently discussions are taking place with the supplier for a longer term relationship if consistency of supply and price can be guaranteed.
	Since February 2002 catering services have purchased only free range eggs from Ashford in Kent and in 2007 were awarded a Good Egg Award which recognised continued leadership on eggs, helping to promote animal welfare and corporate social responsibility in the food industry.
	Apart from chicken, no other poultry purchases are free range or Freedom Foods monitored. However the Purchasing Department is currently engaged in the sourcing of better quality, higher welfare products to include turkey, duck, and guinea fowl.
	Pork purchases are all classed as free range and come from West Sussex.
	 (b) Organic food: the catering service does not keep records that specifically identify organic purchases and so it is not possible to put a value on this expenditure. The issues of consistency and availability are still prevalent in this area, consequently purchasing of organic products is restricted to branded, pre-packed goods, such as sandwiches, salads, yoghurts, biscuits, cakes, etc. which offer some guarantee and assurances of quality.
	 (c) Fair trade products: in 2007 the catering service purchased 72 fair trade food and beverage products throughout the estate including fresh fruit, juices, coffee, tea, chocolate, cakes, cookies, biscuits, tropical whole foods, smoothies and sugar. Spend for these items was £62,137. 11 fair trade souvenir items are available for sale, for example wooden picture frames (India), stationery (Nepal), coffee (Kenya). A regular supply of fair trade chocolate is currently being arranged. Two fair trade wines are sold in the House's dining and banqueting rooms. Fair-trade products are used when supply and quality can be guaranteed.

House of Commons: Catering

Robert Key: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if he will make a statement on the origin of veal products used in House of Commons catering.

Nick Harvey: Over the last year, the catering service has spent approximately £5,000 on veal, 40 per cent. on meat including offal (£2,000) and the remainder on bones (£3,000).
	The majority (91 per cent.) of veal meat products purchased are small speciality cuts, and come from a well-established company in Holland (as do all the bones). It is the world's largest veal producer and has an excellent traceability system (back to a specific animal) and a guarantee that the veal is free of growth promoters, hormones and b-agonists. Quality systems are based on HACCP and are BRC compliant which surpass international standards. Animal welfare is of utmost importance and the calves are given diets that are high in fibre (and not iron deficient), generous space allowances, and adequate bedding. All the calves are accommodated in groups in spacious, well-ventilated and well-lit stables.
	The remainder (9 per cent.) was purchased from UK suppliers which have the highest standards and best welfare practices for veal production, but not the availability and consistency of supply.

Norman Shaw Buildings

Michael Fabricant: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if the Commission will bring forward plans to construct a canopy to protect people walking between Norman Shaw South and Norman Shaw North from rain; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: There is a covered bridge at second floor level between Norman Shaw North and South buildings which protects people from rain. At present there are no plans to construct a canopy at ground floor.

Political Activities

Francis Maude: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what guidance has been provided to staff employed by the Commission on the extent to which they can engage in political activity in their spare time; and what political restrictions exist for each grade of staff.

Nick Harvey: The House's rules relating to engagement in political activity by staff are set out in contracts of employment and the House of Commons staff handbook. Political restrictions depend on the nature of the work undertaken by the postholder rather than their level in the organisation. A copy of the staff handbook is available on the Department of Resources intranet site.

OLYMPICS

Olympic Games: Shooting Events

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what assessment she has made of the merits of the venue for the shooting events at the 2012 Olympic Games; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Maldon and East Chelmsford (Mr. Whittingdale) on 10 September 2007.
	Outline assessments during the bid phase were conducted on the basis of providing the overlay required to stage shooting events at the National Shooting Centre at Bisley. However, during the bidding phase, the International Olympic Committee commented on the distance between Bisley and the Olympic Park. On the basis of this feedback, and following consultation with the International Shooting Federation and British Shooting (the national governing body), the Royal Artillery barracks at Woolwich was selected as the shooting venue, due to its iconic location and its close proximity to the Olympic Park and Village. These factors will improve the athlete and spectator experience by limiting travel and making it easier to attend other Games events on the same day in the Olympic Park.
	LOCOG will work with the Ministry of Defence, the Home Office and Greenwich Council to see what legacy can be left behind in Woolwich after the Games.

Olympic Games: London

David Evennett: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what her objectives are for the legacy of the Olympic Games in London.

Tessa Jowell: The Mayor of London leads on the delivery of the legacy of the 2012 Games. He recently published his "Five Legacy Commitments" which set out in detail how the 2012 Games will make a huge and permanent impact on London. This includes creating new homes (9,000 in and around the Olympic Park and an additional 30,000 in the wider lower Lea valley) and 50,000 new job opportunities, as well as new sporting facilities for community and elite use.
	In addition, London's transport network will benefit from a £10 billion investment, leading to 50 per cent. extra capacity on the DLR, an extended east London line, an improved London overground network, extra capacity on the Jubilee line and new walking and cycling routes.

Olympic Site

Chris Bryant: To ask the Minister for the Olympics if she will make a statement on progress on developing the 2012 Olympic site.

Tessa Jowell: Excellent progress has been made in the last 12 months and we remain on track to achieve site preparation targets by the start of the Games in Beijing this summer.
	We are now at an advanced stage in the land clearance, with demolition work on the five permanent venue sites already completed.
	And last week saw further progress with cabling work completed in one of the two underground tunnels that will carry the power around the Park.

Olympic Games 2012: Industrial Health and Safety

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Minister for the Olympics if she will hold discussions with the Health and Safety Executive about on-site construction safety standards at the Olympic site in Stratford.

Tessa Jowell: I am determined that the Olympic Park site will be a leading example in health and safety performance, and that we will go beyond regulatory compliance to ensure performance remains consistently high.
	The ODA has published a comprehensive health and safety statement in July 2007 and this is being rigorously implemented and monitored.
	The HSE has appointed its London Regional Director as its head of London 2012 regulatory activities and the HSE regularly inspect the site to assess health, safety and environment conditions.
	Already there is robust evidence that this attention to health and safety is paying off and the ODA has just achieved a second period of one million worker hours on site preparation works without a reportable accident.

Trade Unions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what meetings she has had with trades union officials since 1 July 2007; on what dates; and with which trades unions.

Tessa Jowell: Ministers meet many people as part of the process of policy development. It is not normal practice to disclose details of such meetings.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Telephone Services

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by his Department for public access to services.

David Cairns: None.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Departmental Information Officers

Jeremy Browne: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners how many  (a) press and  (b) communications officers were employed by the Church Commissioners in each of the last 10 years.

Stuart Bell: In 1997 and 1998 the Commissioners employed four officers who were engaged in press and communications work. Since 1999, however, the Commissioners have not directly employed any press or communications officers. The Archbishops' Council provides communications services to the Commissioners at an annually agreed level.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMISSION

National Audit Office: Visits Abroad

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission how many overseas visits were made by staff of the National Audit Office in each of the last 10 years; which countries were visited; and what the cost of the visits was in each year.

Alan Williams: The National Audit Office does not collate this specific information and this could be done only at disproportionate cost. The National Audit Office has published on its website (www.nao.org.uk ) details of recent expenditure incurred on national and international travel and subsistence by the Comptroller and Auditor General and his senior management. This information will be updated every six months.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Elections: Fraud

Richard Shepherd: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission when the Electoral Commission will complete its compilation and review of information from police forces on alleged fraud in connection with elections.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has put in place arrangements to gather and review information held by police forces in England and Wales on a continuing basis.
	The Commission has completed a review of information held by the Crown Prosecution Services on allegations of electoral malpractice at elections in England and Wales between 2000 and 2006. An analysis of this information is available on its website and a copy has now been placed in the Library of the House.

Electoral Register: Credit

Richard Shepherd: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what guidance the Electoral Commission has issued to electoral registration officers when referring to credit referencing as an encouragement to the public to apply for inclusion on the electoral register.

Peter Viggers: Section 10 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 requires Electoral Registration Officers to use a prescribed form when conducting the annual registration canvass. This form does not contain any information on the use of the electoral register for credit purposes. The Electoral Commission informs me that it advised Electoral Registration Officers in 2003 of its view that electoral information only should be provided with annual canvass forms.

Electoral Register: Entry Clearances

Richard Shepherd: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what guidance is issued by the Electoral Commission to electoral registration officers to highlight the requirement for Commonwealth citizens to have valid leave to remain in order to legally register.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has issued guidance advising Electoral Registration Officers that a 'qualifying Commonwealth citizen' is either one who does not require leave to remain in the United Kingdom or is a person who both requires and holds leave to remain.
	The Commission further advises Electoral Registration Officers that if there are any doubts about an applicant's eligibility in relation to immigration status, the Electoral Registration Officer has the power to require a statutory declaration of eligibility, under Regulation 24(2)(d)(ii) of the Representation of the People Regulations 2001.

Electoral Register: Illegal Immigrants

Richard Shepherd: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what guidance is issued by the Electoral Commission to electoral registration officers on their duty to maintain accurate electoral registers in relation to illegal immigrants.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has provided guidance to Electoral Registration Officers in Great Britain that if there are any doubts about an applicant's eligibility in relation to immigration status, the Electoral Registration Officer has the power to require a statutory declaration of eligibility, under Regulation 24(2)(d)(ii) of the Representation of the People Regulations 2001.

Information Officers

Jeremy Browne: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission how many  (a) press and  (b) communications officers the Electoral Commission employed in each of the last 10 years.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that the numbers of press and communication officer posts in each year since it was established are as follows:
	
		
			   Press officers  Communication officers  Total 
			 2000-01 0 1 1 
			 2001-02 3 2 5 
			 2002-03 3 5 8 
			 2003-04 5 14 19 
			 2004-05 4 22 26 
			 2005-06 4 23 27 
			 2006-07 5 20 25 
			 2007-08 5 20 25

Information Officers

Jeremy Browne: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission how much the Electoral Commission paid in bonuses to press and communication officers in each year since it was established; and what the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest such bonus was in each of those years.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that the following special bonuses have been awarded to press and communication officers since the Commission was established in 2000:
	
		
			   Number  Total  (£)  Highest  (£)  Lowest  (£) 
			 2000-01 0 0 — — 
			 2001-02 1 250 250 — 
			 2002-03 0 0 — — 
			 2003-04 1 300 300 — 
			 2004-05 4 1,750 750 250 
			 2005-06 0 0 — — 
			 2006-07 0 0 — — 
			 2007-08 0 0 — — 
		
	
	In addition to the special bonus scheme, in April 2007 a reward voucher scheme for all staff was launched to recognise good team and/or individual performance. The vouchers can be redeemed in a variety of shops and outlets across the UK. Since the introduction of this scheme 15 press and communication officers have been awarded vouchers, averaging £25 each.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Africa Progress Panel

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the  (a) role and  (b) remit of the Africa Progress Panel is; what support the Government are providing to the Africa Progress Panel in 2007-08; and what activities have been undertaken by the Africa Progress Panel since it was established.

Douglas Alexander: The Africa Progress Panel's objective is to use its collective influence and knowledge to work with Africa and its development partners to ensure the implementation of promises to support the continent. This includes commitments made at the Gleneagles G8 summit in 2005.
	The panel was launched in Berlin on 24 April 2007, where it issued a communiqué setting out its objectives and priorities in detail:
	http://www.africaprogresspanel.org/english/ourwork.php.
	The panel's Africa launch took place in Accra, Ghana, on 11 June 2007. The UK Government have committed £1 million to support the panel during its existence which is expected to be until 2010-11.
	Panel members held discussions with a number of international leaders in 2007 to advance its work, including the German Chancellor (as President of the G8), the President of Ghana (as Chair of the African Union), the President(s) of the European Union, the then British Prime Minister Tony Blair and other world leaders.
	The panel has also issued several statements, including a response to the outcomes of the 2007 G8 summit, and an assessment of progress towards the Millennium Development Goals—accessible from the panel's website:
	www.africaprogresspanel.org

Africa: Security

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the Africa Partnership Forum is planning to present a progress report on peace and security in Africa.

Douglas Alexander: The Africa Partnership Forum (APF) discussed a paper on peace and security at its 8th meeting, in Berlin, on 22 to 23 May 2007. The paper and the chair's summary of the discussion are available online at the following address:
	http://www.africapartnershipforum.org/document/60/0.3343.en_37489563_37637521_39576060_1_1_1_1.00.html

Chad: Asylum

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation of refugees and internally displaced persons in Chad; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: Eastern Chad hosts 240,000 Sudanese refugees in 12 refugee camps and 46,000 Central African refugees in four refugee camps. There are 180,000 IDPs, and an estimated 700,000 in host communities have been adversely affected by the ongoing conflict. DFID relies on data from partner agencies for assessment of the humanitarian situation affecting the displaced populations, and the humanitarian situation in Chad is monitored closely by a dedicated west African humanitarian advisor. In financial year 2007-08, DFID has committed £6.5 million to Chad through humanitarian agencies. These include ICRC (3600,000), UNHCR (£2 million) UNOCHA (£260,000), Oxfam (£330,000), WFP (£1.8 million) and Islamic Relief (£500,000).
	Though conditions for refugees remain of concern, the immediate humanitarian needs of most of the refugee population are being addressed. In the majority of refugee camps, for example, refugees are receiving 15 litres of potable water per person per day, in accordance with international standards. According to the UN, refugees all have access to primary health care facilities, although vaccination coverage is less than the accepted level. The UN estimates that 82 per cent. of refugee school-age children are enrolled and attend school. In line with international nutritional norms, refugees are all receiving 2,100 kCal per person per day. Nutritional surveillance shows that in the refugee population, global acute malnutrition is 7.7 per cent. which is within the WHO-defined 'alert' band, and severe acute malnutrition is 0.75 per cent.—which is defined as 'acceptable'.
	The situation for the internally displaced population is more worrying; in many cases, standards fall below the internationally accepted norms. Of the total of 180,000 IDPs, only 125,000 are receiving more than 10 litres of potable water per person per day. The UN estimates that 70 per cent. of IDPs have access to primary health care facilities at utilisation rate of one visit per person per year, which is below what is to be expected for a displaced population. 2,100 kCal per day have been provided to a caseload of 150,000 IDPs. Global acute malnutrition levels are at 21.4 per cent. and severe acute malnutrition levels are at 2.6 per cent; both levels are classified by WHO as 'serious'. The UN notes that information relating to the full extent of coverage of humanitarian need is as yet incomplete. The situation for the host population, and those otherwise affected by the conflict, is very serious, with global and severe malnutrition figures comparable to those prevalent amongst the IDPs. The UN estimates that some 700,000 additional people fall into this category.

Departmental Telephone Services

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by  (a) his Department and  (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services.

Shahid Malik: DFID has one 0845 number which enables members of the public to call the public enquiry point in East Kilbride from anywhere in the United Kingdom, charged at standard local rates. No related departmental bodies use 0845 numbers for public access to services.

Developing Countries: AIDS

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with his G8 counterparts on the provision of health workers to work with people with AIDS in developing countries; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: holding answer 22 January 2008
	The UK has been actively engaged with the US Government to address health worker shortages in Africa. Through the International Health Partnership, DFID recently held a joint meeting in Ethiopia with the US Presidents Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and four PEPFAR and IMP African countries to agree priority actions to increase and improve resources for health workers, including those needed to deliver HIV and AIDS services.
	DFID has committed £1 million to the Global Health Workforce Alliance (GHWA) to take forward global advocacy and lesson learning, including on issues such as supply, retention and migration of health workers. We are working with GHWA as it develops its plan to support the scale-up of health workers, including health education and training.
	The UK will continue to push for action to address health worker shortages in developing countries at the forthcoming meeting of the G8 health experts group. We will work with G8 partners, and especially closely with Japan during its 2008 G8 presidency, to maintain the profile and momentum to help solve the health worker crisis facing the poorest countries. We hope the GHWA will be a useful contribution to this.

Human Trafficking

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on introducing conditionality changes related to anti-trafficking measures into the UK's bilateral development and assistance programmes.

Shahid Malik: Where the Department for International Development (DFID) gives money to partner governments, it comes with conditions. We assess whether partner governments show commitment to tackling poverty, upholding human rights and managing public money wisely. We may, and do, interrupt or stop aid if a partner government breaches these commitments. All our conditions relate to these three partnership commitments. DFID has no plans to introduce conditionality changes specifically related to anti-trafficking measures.
	Poverty and social exclusion make people vulnerable to human trafficking. DFID is supporting long-term programmes to help eliminate the underlying causes of poverty. Our programmes help improve the livelihood opportunities and security of poor people so that they are less susceptible to traffickers. DFID also supports the anti-trafficking work of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) through its Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour and its International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour. Over £14 million is currently committed to ILO and civil society anti-trafficking programmes in south-east Asia.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Business Questions

Theresa May: To ask the Leader of the House what meetings the Deputy Leader of the House has had with ministerial colleagues on the business of the House in each of the last six months.

Helen Goodman: Since July 2007, I have had regular meetings with ministerial colleagues to discuss the business of the House.

Departmental Visits Abroad

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Leader of the House how many overseas visits by officials in her Office took place in each of the last 10 years; which countries were visited; and how much was spent on such visits in each such year.

Helen Goodman: Following a Machinery of Government change, information prior to 2006-07 is available only at disproportionate cost.
	All travel is undertaken in accordance with the "Civil Service Management Code" and the "Ministerial Code".
	Details of overseas ministerial visits, including costs for Ministers and officials are published annually by the Cabinet Office and can be found at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/ministers

Topical Debates

Norman Baker: To ask the Leader of the House 
	(1)  how many suggestions for topical debates her Department has received from hon. and right hon. Members by  (a) post,  (b) the link on her website and  (c) other means; how many she has received from hon. Members of each party; and who suggested each of the subjects she has selected for debate;
	(2)  what proportion of subjects for topical debates suggested by hon. and right hon. Members she has selected for topical debates;
	(3)  what the 10 most popular suggestions made by hon. and right hon. Members for topical debates have been.

Harriet Harman: The information is as follows.
	
		
			   Total received  Labour  Conservative  Liberal Democrat 
			 Post 11 6 1 4 
			 Via website 9 8 1 0 
			 Other 3 1 1 1 
			  Note: This does not include requests made to me at business questions as this is already a matter of public record. 
		
	
	Topical debates take place in Government time and the decision and announcement are for me.
	Of the requests made, other than at business questions, two subjects have been requested more than once. The topics are: a medal for members of the armed forces who have been killed or wounded in combat and Farepak.

Topical Debates

Norman Baker: To ask the Leader of the House what criteria she uses to decide whether a subject proposed for a topical debate is topical.

Helen Goodman: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given by my right hon. and learned Friend the Leader of the House to the hon. Member for Billericay (Mr. Baron) on 18 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1225W.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Domestic Sports: Player Nationality

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the European Commission on the EU rules affecting the nationalities of team members in domestic sports teams.

Andy Burnham: We have been in regular dialogue with both the European Commission and colleagues in member states on the issue of home grown players and on the relationship between the Commission and sport more widely.
	The Commission published its White Paper on Sport in July last year and are assessing in more detail the relationship between sport and freedom of movement rules.
	We look forward to the outcomes of this work which we understand will be completed in April.

Heritage Bill

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he expects the draft Heritage Bill to be published.

Margaret Hodge: We are aiming to publish the draft Heritage Protection Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny in spring 2008.

Additional Sporting Activity

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will bring forward proposals to encourage school students with an interest in sport to undertake additional sporting activity outside school.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The 2006-07 school sport survey showed that 86 per cent. of five to 16-year-olds did two hours of high quality PE and school sport per week in and out of school, exceeding the target of 85 per cent. a year early.
	We now have a more ambitious target to offer five hours of sport for all young people aged five to 16 and three hours for those aged 16 to 19 per week. This will be delivered in and out of school through a range of school, community and club providers.

BBC

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the BBC on arrangements for the scrutiny of BBC expenditure by the Committee of Public Accounts.

Andy Burnham: Neither I nor my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions have had recent discussions. The matter was fully addressed during Charter review and I am satisfied that the current arrangements strike the right balance between protecting public resources and maintaining the independence of the BBC. We have no plans to propose any changes.

Sport: Young People

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to promote opportunities for young people to participate in competitive sport.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The 2006-07 School Sport Survey showed that:
	98 per cent. of schools held a competitive sports day;
	58 per cent. of pupils were involved in intra-school competition; and
	35 per cent. of all pupils were involved in inter-school competition.
	We are committed to increasing the number of children and young people involved in competitive sport as part of our plans to offer five hours of sport for all five to 16-year-olds and three hours for young people aged 16 to 19.
	We are working with governing bodies and school sport associations to improve their competition frameworks and we are also establishing a national network of competition managers to implement our plans at a local level.

Departmental Spending

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department will be spending on  (a) museums and galleries and  (b) theatre in the next 12 months.

Margaret Hodge: In 2008-09 DCMS will provide nearly £371.5 million to the DCMS-sponsored museums and galleries and £46.2 million toward the Renaissance in the Regions programme for regional museums. Arts Council England propose to spend £102.5 million on theatre and £25.4 million on galleries.

Funding: Arts Council England

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what criteria were used in determining the withdrawal of Arts Council England funding from certain arts organisations.

Margaret Hodge: The Arts Council operates at arm's length from Government, according to the criteria set out in their Royal Charter:
	"to develop and improve the knowledge, understanding and practice of the arts (and) to increase accessibility of the arts to the public in England."
	In February 2007 the Arts Council said it would give particular priority to:
	achieving a portfolio of effective and thriving organisations;
	increasing engagement in the arts across the population;
	delivering greater arts activity and presence in emerging priority places; and
	delivering the recommendations of Turning Point, the Arts Council's strategic review of the visual arts sector.

Diversity: Cultural Events

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to encourage more diversity among participants in and audiences for cultural events; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The Government are supporting a number of initiatives to increase diversity among participants and audiences for cultural events, across the arts, museums and heritage sectors.
	We are working closely with Arts Council England, sponsored museums, the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and English Heritage to deliver this.

Professional Football: Salaries

Anne Moffat: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will bring forward legislative proposals to increase levels of transparency of salaries paid by professional football clubs.

Gerry Sutcliffe: There are currently no plans to bring forward legislation in this area. Salaries are a matter for individual clubs and the Football authorities.
	I have been clear, however, that football must find the right balance between its commercial and sporting sides if it is to secure its long-term success and stability.

National Museums: Children

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of visits by children to national museums in 2006-07.

Margaret Hodge: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave earlier to the hon. Member for Luton, North (Kelvin Hopkins).

Business

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his Department's planned expenditure on business support, promotion of enterprise and economic development is for each year from 2007-08 to 2010-11; and which elements of this expenditure are planned to be funded through regional development agencies' single pot.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 15 January 2008
	My Department provides the following funding for tourism:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 VisitBritain 50 48 45 41 
			 Regional development agencies single budget 4 4 3 3 
			 Greater London Authority 2 2 (1)tba (1)tba 
			 (1) Tourism funding agreement between the department for culture, media and sport and the Greater London Authority will be subject to the tourism strategic review.  Note: Figures for 2008-09 to 2010-11 are from CSR2007 settlement, with some rounding adjustments. 
		
	
	The regional development agencies single budget is intended to deliver a range of statutory objectives including regeneration, business support, employment, skills and sustainable development. Detailed proposals for business support covering the next three years will be set out in the regional development agencies' corporate plans which will be published in the spring.
	In addition, my Department will also provide up to £3 million per year for the next three years to support projects that might emerge through the process of Government engagement with the creative industries.

Cultural Heritage

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidance his Department has issued on the treatment of requests for the  (a) return and  (b) permanent loan of historical artefacts held by a museum in one part of the UK which were (i) discovered and (ii) created in another part of the United Kingdom.

Margaret Hodge: My Department has not issued guidance on this topic. Requests for the restitution of cultural objects are a matter for individual museums to consider.

Departmental Data Protection

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many confirmed security breaches of databases controlled by his Department occurred in each of the last five years; whether the breach resulted from internal or external action in each case; how many records were compromised on each occasion; and what estimate was made of the total number of records accessible to the individuals concerned.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 13 December 2007
	Except in exceptional cases, when it is in the public interest, it has been the policy of successive Governments not to comment on breaches of security.

Departmental Information Officers

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department paid in bonuses to press and communication officers in each of the last 10 years; and what the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest such bonus was in each of those years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: As part of the 2007 annual pay award for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, bonuses totalling £11,730 were paid to press and communications officers. The highest payment was £2,500 and the lowest payment was £680.
	To provide the historical information requested for the past 10 years would incur disproportionate cost because in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport information is held by grade and not job role.

Departmental Pay

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many and what proportion of his Department's staff are employed within each salary band; what the title and role of each position within each salary band is; and for each salary band what the  (a) bonus structure,  (b) retirement provision,  (c) expenses provision,  (d) total expenses incurred in each of the last 10 years,  (e) average age of employee,  (f) number of (i) women and (ii) men and (g) ethnic composition is.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information is as follows:
	 (a) The Department makes bonus payments to its staff for two purposes for staff below the senior civil service: (i) special bonuses to reward outstanding contributions in particularly demanding tasks or situations; and (ii) performance bonuses to reward highly successful performance over a whole year. Senior civil service salaries, including bonuses are subject to review by the Senior Salaries Review Body.
	 (b) The normal retirement age for all permanent DCMS staff in all grades including the senior civil service is 65. Staff can choose between a range of pension options operating under the Principle Civil Service Pension Scheme.
	 (c) Expenditure on expenses in the Department is conducted in accordance with the principles of managing public money as well as the Department's internal guidance. An analysis of expenses is not separately recorded in the Department's accounting system and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	 (e) The following table provides the further information requested;
	
		
			  Grade  Salary band  Percentage of staff in grade  Average age  Number of women  Number of men  White  Not stated  Ethnic minority declared 
			 SCS £56,100 to 205,000 7 47 11 27 30 7 1 
			 A £42,770 to 64,065 20 42 47 61 95 6 7 
			 HEOD £27,560 to 35,335 3 27 9 7 11 3 2 
			 B £27,560 to 35,335 34 40 77 98 141 15 19 
			 C £21,242 to 25,178 23 37 65 57 93 10 19 
			 D £16,796 to 20,395 13 39 40 28 38 10 20

Departmental Telephone Services

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many 0845 or similar telephone numbers are used by  (a) his Department and  (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department does not use any 0845 telephone numbers for public access to services.

Heritage Lottery Fund: Grants

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of the total value of Heritage Lottery Fund awards was given in grants of  (a) less than £1 million and  (b) more than £5 million in each year since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Decision (Financial year)  Percentage of total awards under £1 million  Percentage of total awards over £5 million 
			 1997-98 42 28 
			 1998-99 37 23 
			 1999-2000 35 20 
			 2000-01 32 31 
			 2001-02 38 26 
			 2002-03 37 30 
			 2003-04 37 20 
			 2004-05 35 40 
			 2005-06 42 20 
			 2006-07 41 12

Heritage Lottery Fund: Public Appointments

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he expects to announce the appointment of the new chair and four trustees of the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Margaret Hodge: An open and independently scrutinised process is being carried out, in accordance with the requirements of the Commissioner for Public Appointment's code of practice, and these appointments will be made by the Prime Minister on the recommendation of the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, and myself.
	Interviews have been held for all five posts, and recommendations will be sent to No. 10 shortly. No 10 will announce the appointments as soon as is possible.

Licensing Laws

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the use of temporary event notices by licensed premises; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will make it his policy to bring forward amendments to the Licensing Act 2003 so that licensed premises may not operate outside their licence when operating under a temporary events notice; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: In 2005 DCMS formally consulted on Permitted Temporary Activities and the temporary event notices (TENs) regulations. Ministers considered views from all respondents and decided not to further restrict the limits on TENs.
	While there had been some representations about licensed premises using TENs to operate additional hours or activities which have not been included on the full licence, the Government believed that the existing limit was sufficient. Licensed premises were able to hold events outside their set hours under the old licensing regime by the use of special orders of exemption.
	However, we will continue to monitor the position with stakeholders and if there is compelling evidence to suggest that the TENs regulations are not covering problems which cannot be dealt with by using the other powers available to the police for handling disorder or noise nuisance, including the closure of premises in certain cases where a TEN has effect. The premises holding the TEN may also have their licence reviewed if they are found to be failing to promote the four licensing objectives.

Overseas Visitors

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many visitors there were to the UK in each of the last six years.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 25 January 2008
	The table shows the number of overseas visits to the UK for the latest six years for which data are available.
	
		
			  Overseas visits 
			   Million 
			 2001 22.8 
			 2002 24.2 
			 2003 24.7 
			 2004 27.8 
			 2005 30.0 
			 2006 32.7 
			  Source:  International Passenger Survey (ONS).

Overseas Visitors

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of foreign visitors to the North East of England in each year since 2004; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The table shows the number of overseas visits to the north-east of England in each year since 2004.
	
		
			  Overseas visits 
			  North-east  Thousand 
			 2004 539 
			 2005 590 
			 2006 650 
			  Source:  International Passenger Survey (ONS).

Planning Permission: Playing Fields

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1167, on planning permission: playing fields, if he will break down the planning applications considered by Sport England by parliamentary constituency.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Sport England does not hold information on planning applications affecting playing fields, broken down by parliamentary constituency. Sport England does however collect information by region.

Planning Permission: Playing Fields

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1167, on planning permission: playing fields, whether his Department still collects information on the number of planning applications approved each year affecting sites which either were too small or of the wrong shape to accommodate a playing pitch as currently defined as referred to in the answer of 1 November 2006,  Official Report, column 421, on playing fields.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Sport England is a statutory consultee on all planning applications affecting playing field land where there is at least one pitch marked out of 0.4 hectares or greater. As part of that process Sport England collects information on the number of applications that affected land too small or the wrong shape to accommodate a playing pitch.

Sport: Finance

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport from which budget headings of  (a) his Department and  (b) UK Sport the £2.8 million UK contribution to the International Inspiration programme will come; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The total funding that has been secured for the pilot phase of the International Inspiration programme is £9.25 million, which was rounded to £9 million for the announcement.
	The sources of that funding are:
	
		
			  (£ million) 
			  Source  
			 Premier League 4.20 
			 DFID via UK Sport (funds transferred to UK Sport Grant in Aid via the winter supplementary estimates—£1million in 2007-08 and £1million in 2008-09) 2.00 
			 DCMS of which 0.15 from departmental other sport support budget and 0.20 transferred to UK Sport Grant in Aid via the winter supplementary estimates 0.35 
			 UNICEF 1.45 
			 British Council 1.25 
			 Total 9.25 
		
	
	In addition the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has agreed, as part of the programme, to dedicate up to 12 Chevening scholarships per year until 2012 for post-graduate studies in sports administration. Over the period of the pilot phase of International Inspiration this has a value of £0.425 million.

Tourism

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent on tourism by the South West Regional Development Agency in each of the last five years.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 25 January 2008
	SWRDA's estimated expenditure on tourism is set out in the following table. The expenditure includes regional brand campaigns; tourism skills development; and support for South West Tourism to deliver the regional tourism strategy, 'Towards 2015':
	
		
			   £000 
			 2003-04 857 
			 2004-05 1,487 
			 2005-06 3,061 
			 2006-07 3,278 
			 2007-08 2,634 
		
	
	These figures do not include other expenditure which benefits tourism, such as SWRDA's substantial capital investment in regeneration schemes and attractions.

Tourism: North East Region

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the average expenditure per head by overseas tourists visiting the north-east in the last five years for which figures are available.

Margaret Hodge: The following table shows the average expenditure per visit by overseas residents visiting the north-east in the last five years for which data are available.
	
		
			  North-east 
			   Average expenditure( 1)  per visit by overseas residents (£) 
			 2002 320 
			 2003 421 
			 2004 359 
			 2005 348 
			 2006 390 
			 (1) Expenditure excludes fares for travel to and from the UK.  Source: International Passenger Survey (ONS)

NORTHERN IRELAND

Crime

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of each category of crime was cleared up by the Police Service of Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The following table sets out the percentage rate of each category of crime which was cleared by the Police Service of Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. The Northern Ireland Policing Board is committed to working with the PSNI to improve clearance rates—the 2007-08 Policing Plan contains a target of increasing the sanction clearance rate by three percentage points.
	
		
			   Percentage cleared( 1) 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Offences against the person 51.4 57.0 53.1 56.6 34.4 
			 Sexual offences 46.6 50.8 46.0 43.3 25.6 
			 Burglary 13.4 14.4 16.7 15.5 18.6 
			 Robbery 9.9 12.2 14.8 12.6 12.5 
			 Theft 14.0 15.9 17.4 20.0 19.6 
			 Fraud and forgery 28.4 32.4 36.0 34.3 31.4 
			 Criminal damage 13.0 15.2 14.4 15.2 11.6 
			 Offences against the state 33.4 41.6 45.9 50.3 54.6 
			 Other notifiable offences 67.4 71.0 72.8 74.6 82.7 
			 (1 ) Clearances In April 2006 PSNI adopted a higher evidential standard in respect of non sanction clearances (those where no further action is taken by the police, mainly due to the victim not wanting formal action taken by the police or due to no prosecution being directed). This change was introduced in order to bring these clearance types more closely into line with police services in England and Wales where they have been applying the Crown Prosecution Service evidential test since 2002. In Northern Ireland the equivalent standard became relevant to PSNI clearances only with the establishment of the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) in June 2005. While this has had the effect of reducing the overall clearance rate, sanction clearances (those where a formal sanction is taken against an offender by means of charge, summons, and caution or where the offence is taken into consideration at court) remain unaffected.   Source:  Central Statistics Unit, PSNI.

Departmental ICT

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the  (a) start date,  (b) original planned completion date,  (c) current expected completion date,  (d) planned cost and  (e) current estimated cost is for each information technology project being undertaken by his Department and its agencies; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 5 December 2006,  Official Report, columns 306-07W.
	There are a large number of information technology projects across the Northern Ireland Office. The majority of these are relatively small and are developed in-house with minimum cost. To compile information to support all projects would be at disproportionate cost therefore the information within the following table relates only to current IT projects which cost in excess of £l million.
	
		
			   Causeway  PRISM  Access NI 
			 Start date August 2003 March 2002 June 2006 
			 Original planned completion date December 2006 December 2005 March 2007 
			 Expected completion date December 2009 March 2008(1) March 2008 
			 Originally planned costs (£ million) 45 5.12 l.84 
			 Estimated planned costs (£ million) 61 5.97 l.3 
			 (1) Implementation commenced in the first prison establishment on September 2005. Implementation is planned to be completed in all prison establishments by March 2008.

Departmental Telephone Services

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by his Department for public access to services.

Shaun Woodward: There are no 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers used by the Northern Ireland Office.

Police Service of Northern Ireland: Expenditure

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of the Police Service of Northern Ireland budget in each district command unit was allocated to the prevention and investigation of crime in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The following table sets out the percentage, where available, of the PSNI budget in each district command unit which was allocated to prevention and investigation of crime. The information requested is available for 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07.
	
		
			  District  DCU  Domain 2  2006-07  2005-06  2004-05 
			  Urban  
			 A District North Belfast Investigating Crime 53.0 35.2 40.8 
			   Reducing Crime 3.7 2.9 2.2 
			   Promoting Public Safety 16.9 31.5 27.0 
			   Providing Assistance 26.3 30.3 29.9 
			  West Belfast Investigating Crime 51.4 40.4 43.2 
			   Reducing Crime 0.9 1.9 2.2 
			   Promoting Public Safety 17.4 30.4 26.2 
			   Providing Assistance 30.3 27.3 28.4 
			   
			 B District East Belfast Investigating Crime 50.1 37.9 45.3 
			   Reducing Crime 3.6 2.8 2.3 
			   Promoting Public Safety 20.5 34.1 28.6 
			   Providing Assistance 25.8 25.2 23.8 
			  South Belfast Investigating Crime 52.6 44.0 51.6 
			   Reducing Crime 2.2 2.0 1.6 
			   Promoting Public Safety 21.4 29.0 21.6 
			   Providing Assistance 23.8 25.0 25.2 
			   
			 C District Ards Investigating Crime 47.6 38.8 42.5 
			   Reducing Crime 5.3 3.3 2.4 
			   Promoting Public Safety 21.8 30.6 27.4 
			   Providing Assistance 25.3 27.3 27.7 
			  Castlereagh Investigating Crime 45.4 35.8 37.3 
			   Reducing Crime 2.5 2.1 2.0 
			   Promoting Public Safety 23.3 35.0 31.7 
			   Providing Assistance 28.8 27.1 29.0 
			  Down Investigating Crime 49.9 35.5 41.5 
			   Reducing Crime 2.3 2.3 2.3 
			   Promoting Public Safety 21.9 32.2 25.3 
			   Providing Assistance 26.0 29.9 30.9 
			  North Down Investigating Crime 49.8 42.3 45.5 
			   Reducing Crime 2.0 2.0 2.3 
			   Promoting Public Safety 19.2 29.6 24.9 
			   Providing Assistance 28.9 26.1 27.4 
			   
			 D District Antrim Investigating Crime 51.9 39.1 49.4 
			   Reducing Crime 3.1 2.3 1.8 
			   Promoting Public Safety 20.9 28.2 24.0 
			   Providing Assistance 24.1 30.5 24.8 
			  Carrickfergus Investigating Crime 47.1 36.7 42.3 
			   Reducing Crime 4.0 2.6 2.0 
			   Promoting Public Safety 25.1 35.4 29.6 
			   Providing Assistance 23.8 25.4 26.1 
			  Lisburn Investigating Crime 54.1 46.0 49.4 
			   Reducing Crime 2.0 2.2 1.4 
			   Promoting Public Safety 17.7 25.2 22.2 
			   Providing Assistance 26.2 26.6 26.9 
			  Newtownabbey Investigating Crime 44.9 40.4 43.2 
			   Reducing Crime 2.7 2.3 2.0 
			   Promoting Public Safety 23.1 29.9 25.3 
			   Providing Assistance 29.3 27.4 29.5 
			   
			  Rural region  
			 E District Armagh Investigating Crime 46.7 34.6 41.5 
			   Reducing Crime 2.0 2.1 1.8 
			   Promoting Public Safety 24.2 33.4 26.5 
			   Providing Assistance 27.1 30.0 30.2 
			  Banbridge Investigating Crime 44.0 32.2 38.7 
			   Reducing Crime 4.1 3.4 3.2 
			   Promoting Public Safety 26.3 30.7 27.4 
			   Providing Assistance 25.6 33.7 30.7 
			  Craigavon Investigating Crime 46.9 37.9 45.8 
			   Reducing Crime 1.4 1.9 1.3 
			   Promoting Public Safety 25.5 32.1 24.2 
			   Providing Assistance 26.1 28.1 28.7 
			  Newry and Mourne Investigating Crime 46.0 33.1 39.5 
			   Reducing Crime 2.8 2.8 2.5 
			   Promoting Public Safety 22.2 34.0 26.6 
			   Providing Assistance 29.0 30.1 31.3 
			   
			 F District Cookstown Investigating Crime 51.4 37.6 42.1 
			   Reducing Crime 2.4 2.3 2.0 
			   Promoting Public Safety 20.3 29.3 24.3 
			   Providing Assistance 25.8 30.8 31.6 
			  Dungannon and South Tyrone Investigating Crime 44.5 34.6 39.7 
			   Reducing Crime 2.6 3.1 3.5 
			   Promoting Public Safety 25.4 32.8 27.6 
			   Providing Assistance 27.6 29.5 29.2 
			  Fermanagh Investigating Crime 49.9 37.6 42.3 
			   Reducing Crime 2.3 2.2 2.1 
			   Promoting Public Safety 18.2 32.5 28.7 
			   Providing Assistance 29.6 27.7 26.9 
			  Omagh Investigating Crime 44.5 39.6 44.8 
			   Reducing Crime 3.8 2.5 2.2 
			   Promoting Public Safety 23.0 28.6 23.1 
			   Providing Assistance 28.7 29.3 29.8 
			   
			  Rural  
			 G District Foyle Investigating Crime 43.7 33.7 43.8 
			   Reducing Crime 2.3 2.3 1.9 
			   Promoting Public Safety 26.7 34.4 26.7 
			   Providing Assistance 27.3 29.6 27.6 
			  Limavady Investigating Crime 53.9 41.7 43.7 
			   Reducing Crime 2.9 2.6 2.4 
			   Promoting Public Safety 16.8 24.6 21.0 
			   Providing Assistance 26.4 31.1 32.9 
			  Magherafelt Investigating Crime 44.6 32.9 36.3 
			   Reducing Crime 2.8 3.6 3.5 
			   Promoting Public Safety 19.7 32.1 28.7 
			   Providing Assistance 32.9 31.3 31.5 
			  Strabane Investigating Crime 48.3 43.5 50.4 
			   Reducing Crime 1.4 1.9 1.7 
			   Promoting Public Safety 21.9 27.4 20.1 
			   Providing Assistance 28.3 27.3 27.8 
			   
			 H District Ballymena Investigating Crime 49.3 37.7 40.6 
			   Reducing Crime 3.7 3.0 3.0 
			   Promoting Public Safety 21.2 28.8 25.7 
			   Providing Assistance 25.8 30.4 30.8 
			  Ballymoney Investigating Crime 44.8 34.9 38.3 
			   Reducing Crime 4.8 3.6 3.2 
			   Promoting Public Safety 21.1 28.6 27.0 
			   Providing Assistance 29.4 32.9 31.4 
			  Coleraine Investigating Crime 53.0 36.0 42.8 
			   Reducing Crime 1.7 2.6 2.0 
			   Promoting Public Safety 19.3 29.2 23.6 
			   Providing Assistance 25.9 32.2 31.6 
			  Larne Investigating Crime 41.9 34.5 39.1 
			   Reducing Crime 4.0 3.5 2.5 
			   Promoting Public Safety 26.7 33.7 28.3 
			   Providing Assistance 27.4 28.4 30.2 
			  Moyle Investigating Crime 42.8 34.2 36.3 
			   Reducing Crime 2.2 2.1 2.2 
			   Promoting Public Safety 31.9 34.4 30.7 
			   Providing Assistance 23.2 29.3 30.9

Police Service of Northern Ireland: Graduates

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many  (a) assistant chief constables,  (b) chief superintendents and  (c) superintendents in the Police Service of Northern Ireland are university graduates.

Paul Goggins: Within the Police Service of Northern Ireland the following numbers of officers in each rank who are showing qualifications which would be attributable to university graduates (Open University Diploma, Degree, Post Graduate, Degree and Post Graduate, Higher National Certificate and Post Graduate and Higher National Certificate only) are:
	
		
			   Number of posts  Number of graduates 
			 (a) Assistant chief constables 7 7 
			 (b) Chief superintendents 28 27 
			 (c) Superintendents 63 54 
		
	
	These figures also include officers who are temporarily promoted to each rank.

Police Service of Northern Ireland: Standards

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he plans to take to improve community confidence in the capability of the Police Service of Northern Ireland to respond effectively to crime.

Paul Goggins: Confidence in the police is high—the latest NI Crime Survey figures, for the period 1 October 2006 until 30 September 2007, show a further upturn in confidence levels in police and policing arrangements, now standing at 78 per cent.
	The Northern Ireland Policing Board works with the PSNI to increase confidence, and a range of targets are set out in the current Policing Plan. A copy of the current Policing Plan 2007-10 is available on the Policing Board website:
	www.nipolicingboard.org.uk

Prisons: Females

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of building a female prison as referred to in the recent Northern Ireland Affairs Committee Report on the Prisons Estate in Northern Ireland (HC 118).

Paul Goggins: As I previously announced, the Northern Ireland Prison Service is taking forward a review of the needs of female offenders, including the scope for provision of a dedicated facility.
	The project team is still in the research phase, including an examination of good practice in other jurisdictions, and is scheduled to provide Ministers with a draft report by the end of February. Costings will not be available until late summer 2008.

Weapons

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent estimate he has made of the number of weapons held by each  (a) Republican and  (b) Loyalist paramilitary organisation in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: As any estimate about the number of illegally-held weapons in Northern Ireland would be based on intelligence, it would be inappropriate to publish this information.
	Decommissioning has been a key measure for securing the trust and confidence necessary to achieve political stability in Northern Ireland. There needs to be engagement with the IICD by all paramilitary organisations, and that must be backed up by action.

DEFENCE

Academies

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1204W, on which dates officials of his Department had discussions with officials from the Department of Children, Schools and Families on the sponsorship of academies.

Derek Twigg: MOD officials have discussed the general issue of sponsorship of academies with officials from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) on a number of occasions, though these were not formally minuted meetings. In particular officials spoke on 5 September 2006 and 15 March 2007 on sponsorship and there were a number of other exchanges. These discussions confirmed that the MOD would not sponsor academies, but that it was appropriate for the local chain of command to engage with sponsors where there was a significant Service community interest. For example, there has been considerable contact between military representatives in Wiltshire and the sponsor of the planned Wellington academy.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many men from the  (a) 2nd Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles,  (b) 1st Battalion The Rifles and  (c) 2nd Battalion The Scots Guards are providing reinforcements to the 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment in Afghanistan.

Des Browne: None of the Battalions listed are providing any reinforcements to the 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment in Afghanistan.

Air Force: Military Bases

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the UK's military airfield capability; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The UK's military airfield capability meets operational and training requirements.
	As I informed the hon. Member on 30 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 1344-45W, the number and operation of military airfields is under constant review to ensure that the best use is made of the Defence Estate for our armed forces.

Armed Forces Memorial

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future funding of the Armed Forces Memorial and the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

Derek Twigg: We are considering what assistance might be given to the trustees in raising the money required to cover the outstanding costs of the project.
	The National Memorial Arboretum currently receives grant in aid of £250,000, index-linked, towards the cost of maintenance of the arboretum. The current agreement for this continues until October 2009.

Armed Forces: Parachuting

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many parachute jumps service personnel must make to qualify for parachute pay each year.

Derek Twigg: Payment of Specialist Pay (Parachute) is made to service personnel who have passed the Basic Parachute Course and are assigned to Specialist Pay (Parachute) posts. To remain qualified, an individual must make a minimum of one parachute descent every 24 months.

Armed Forces: Pay

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the levels of annual pay increases for members of the armed forces in each year of the Comprehensive Spending Review period.

Des Browne: The MOD submits evidence to the Armed Forces' Pay Review Body, which provides independent advice and makes recommendations on armed forces pay for the coming year.

Armed Forces: Schools

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provision of the continuing education allowance for service children forms part of the forces covenant; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: There is no precise definition of what elements of Service personnel allowances might contribute to a Military Covenant. The provision of Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA) assists Service personnel in achieving continuity of education for their children; continuity that would otherwise be denied them in the maintained day school sector if the children accompanied the Service parent on frequent assignments at home and abroad. It is one of a range allowances designed to provide targeted and appropriate support to Service personnel and their families.

Armed Forces: Schools

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the policy on continuing education allowance for service children was last reviewed; and when the policy will next be reviewed.

Derek Twigg: Continuity of education allowance (CEA) was examined in detail in 2004, in preparation for the migration from three single Service legacy delivery systems to the tri-Service Joint Personnel Administration (JPA).
	CEA is also part of the strategic remuneration review (SRR), which is an over-arching review of remuneration provided to Service personnel. The SRR is due to submit its recommendations to the Defence Management Board during spring 2008.

Armed Forces: Schools

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact on educational achievement of the children of military personnel of relocation in terms of  (a) academic results and  (b) personal and social development of the children; and what assessment he has made of the effect of the relocation of military personnel on education results of schools attended by their children.

Derek Twigg: The only rigorous evidence currently available that demonstrates academic achievement of service children is the Key Stage results in service schools overseas, run by the Service Children's Education (SCE) Agency. These results would regularly place them well within the equivalent of the top 25 per cent of local education authorities in England. In order to understand academic achievement more widely, the Department for Children, Schools and Families has introduced a service indicator on the annual school census and is working with MOD on a joint mitigating mobility project to identify the best way of improving outcomes further.
	The MOD has no specific evidence of the impact of relocation on personal and social development of children, but the mitigating mobility project will also consider this aspect. Should problems arise, there is a wide range of support available to service personnel and their families. This includes unit staff, welfare agencies and specialist organisations that offer support directly to families, depending on the specific need.

Armed Forces: Schools

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date his officials first discussed with Essex local authority schooling for the children of Colchester Garrison; on what subsequent dates discussions have been held; which  (a) officials from his Department and  (b) officials from Essex local authority attended; which (i) Ministers and (ii) Essex County Councillors were present at these meetings; what the location was of each meeting; and what the subject heading was of each item discussed.

Derek Twigg: I have agreed to meet with the hon. Member to discuss this issue and will write to him after the meeting.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where the Panther command and liaison vehicles are located; and  (a) when and  (b) where they will be deployed.

Bob Ainsworth: Around a third of the planned fleet of 401 Panther vehicles have been delivered to the Army. Panther vehicles are located at Ashchurch, Bordon and Bovington, where inspections and introductory and specialist training are being carried out. While training is ongoing, no decisions have been taken on when or where they will be deployed.

Belize: Armed Forces

Jim Devine: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British troops will remain in Belize at the end of 2008.

Bob Ainsworth: The number of British troops stationed at the British Army Training Unit Belize (BATSUB) at the end of 2008 is expected to be 40.
	BATSUB's role is to co-ordinate British Army training activity in Belize. The actual number of troops in Belize at any one time will vary depending on the training programme.

Defence Review

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence under what circumstances he would consider undertaking a Defence Review.

Des Browne: holding answer 21 January 200 8
	 The 1998 Strategic Defence Review (Cm 3999) and 2002 New Chapter (Cm 5566) White Papers identified the major challenges to UK security as the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, the spread of international terrorism and the threat posed by weak and failing states. In response to these challenges, they set the requirement for the UK to maintain expeditionary, balanced and flexible armed forces. These assumptions were validated in the 2003 White Paper "Delivering security in a Changing World" (Cm 6041-I) and were endorsed again in work leading to the 2007 comprehensive spending review (Cm 7227). The recent CSR settlement of 1.5 per cent. real terms growth means an additional £7.7 billion for Defence by 2011, continuing the longest period of sustained real growth in planned defence spending since the 1980s. Our priority is to continue to modernise the armed forces to deliver the capabilities needed to meet these challenges.

Defence Equipment: Motor Vehicles

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military vehicles were cannibalised in each of the last 12 months, broken down by vehicle type.

Bob Ainsworth: This information is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave him on 22 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1030W, and 25 October 2007,  Official Report, column 476W.

Departmental Accountancy

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what items of his Department's  (a) revenue and  (b) expenditure are uprated using (i) the consumer prices index, (ii) the retail prices index and (iii) other measures of inflation.

Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member.

Departmental Assets

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which assets of his Department in Hampshire have been sold since 1997; and what the  (a) sale completion date and  (b) price realised was for each.

Derek Twigg: Records of transactions prior to 2000 are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. From 2000, details are given in the following table:
	
		
			  Site or address  Date sold  Price (£) 
			 TAC Redan Road, Aldershot April 2000 1,021,000 
			 Land at Ross House, HMS Daedalus, Lee on Solent September 2000 30,000 
			 Sub station at Eastney January 2001 42,150 
			 Martin Lines, Church Crookham January 2001 4,650,000 
			 OSU Liphook February 2001 2,500,000 
			 TA HQ Carlton Place, Southampton February 2001 455,690 
			 Pumphouse Triangle (wood/pond), Bordon March 2001 46,500 
			 Pumphouse Triangle (land), Bordon March 2001 21,200 
			 Land at Venture Industrial Park, Gosport March 2001 3,000 
			 Frater Industrial Land, Gosport March 2001 320,400 
			 St. George's Barracks (N), Gosport March 2001 900,000 
			 Searle's House, Winchester March 2001 750,000 
			 Royal Clarence Yard, Gosport March 2001 1,347,000 
			 Peewit Island, Portsmouth April 2001 5,000 
			 Frater MT, Gosport December 2001 1,512,000 
			 12 Canute Drive, Christchurch July 2002 120,000 
			 Farnborough Airfield (long lease premium) February 2003 1,800,375 
			 Land at St. Christophers Road, Cove March 2003 180,020 
			 HMS Mercury, Leydene March 2003 1,725,000 
			 Vine Cottage Bungalow plot, Aldershot May 2003 181,500 
			 Fort Southwick July 2003 764,759 
			 RE Lines and St. Lucia Lodge, Bordon October 2003 4,345,000 
			 Land at Wellington Avenue, Aldershot November 2003 1,000 
			 Land at Hospital Hill, Aldershot February 2004 1,675,649 
			 Land at The Ferns, Aldershot 2003 1,044 
			 Land at Norris Bridge, Aldershot July 2004 75,000 
			 Land at Wellington Avenue, Aldershot November 2004 205,077 
			 Land at Amport House, Amport December 2004 45,764 
			 General Aviation Area, Farnborough January 2005 500,000 
			 Ski-Slope, Galwey Road, Aldershot March 2005 150,000 
			 Land at DLO North site, Andover March 2005 1,650,000 
			 Pumphouse site, Church Crookham May 2005 198,000 
			 Land at King George V cottages, Minley June 2005 50,000 
			 West Minley Farm, Minley October 2005 560,000 
			 Footbridge at Nimrod Drive, Rowner November 2005 5,991 
			 Former RAF Officers' Mess, Farnborough November 2005 1,200,000 
			 Fleet Photographic Unit, Tipner Lane, Portsmouth December 2005 1,700,000 
			 Land at Oil Fuel Deport, Gosport December 2005 20,156 
			 Garages at Lancaster Way, Cove January 2006 31,000 
			 HMS Daedalus, Lee on Solent March 2006 12,750,000 
			 Land at Calshot March 2006 65,000 
			 Defence Munitions Centre, Dean Hill April 2006 901,029 
			 Queensgate, Farnborough August 2006 21,100,000 
			 General Aviation Area, Farnborough December 2006 400,000 
			 Land at 1 Roman Way, Barton Stacey February 2007 15,000 
			 Land at North Lane, Aldershot March 2007 1,510,000 
			 Clayhall Cemetery bungalow, Gosport March 2007 117,000 
			 Northern Parade, Falklands Road, Hilsea March 2007 4,324,000 
			 Land at Dean Hill May 2007 198,000 
			 Land at Dean Hill May 2007 3,750 
			 Land at Dean Hill May 2007 36,500 
			 Land at 90 Roberts Road, Barton Stacey July 2007 1,800 
			 RAF Hythe November 2007 3,497,000 
			 Farnborough Airfield (Freehold) December 2007 1,000,688

Departmental Consultants

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultancy contracts his Department issued in each year since 2005; what the  (a) value,  (b) purpose and  (c) contractor was in each case; and whether the consultant's report is publicly available in each case.

Derek Twigg: This information is not held centrally in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) on 25 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 477-478W, where I stated that I had placed in the Library of the House a list of contracts signed by MOD with a net value of more than £20,000 in financial year 2006-07 on management and business consultancy, finance and accountancy consultancy, corporate governance and audit consultancy, and public/private partnership and private finance initiative consultancy that passed through a centralised approval process. These figures do not contain spend by the MOD's trading funds or agencies or on other types of consultancy.
	Information on organisations, including consultancy firms, paid £5 million or more by the MOD in each financial year is published in the UK Defence Statistics. Copies are also placed in the Library of the House.
	Furthermore, details of the Department's spend on external assistance, of which consultancy is a part, has been reported to Ministers since 1995-96: summaries are again available in the Library.

Departmental Disclosure of Information

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role he has in determining what information is classified and who is able to have access to classified information in his Department.

Des Browne: The Department follows Government policy on the classification of information and access to such information.
	The value of information determines its classification. Only the originator of the information can apply a protective marking and this cannot be changed without the originator's consent.
	In terms of access, the need to know principle applies—access is limited strictly to those who are security cleared to the appropriate level and who need such access to carry out their official duties.

Departmental ICT

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) start date,  (b) original planned completion date,  (c) current expected completion date,  (d) planned cost and  (e) current estimated cost is for each information technology project being undertaken by his Department and its agencies; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: As at 21 November 2007, the Ministry of Defence identified around 1,100 information technology systems in service or in development, and the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, I refer the hon. Member to the answer the then Minister for the Armed Forces my right hon. Friend the Member for East Kilbride, Strathavan and Lesmahagow (Mr. Ingram) gave on 6 November 2006,  Official Report, columns 809-10W, to the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne), which addressed the MOD's five largest information technology projects at the time.

Departmental Land

Nick Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons his Department transferred 50 acres of land at East Blockhouse, Augle, Pembrokeshire to QinetiQ on 27 March 2002; how much was received by his Department for the land; and what covenants  (a) existed and  (b) were placed on the land at the time of the transfer.

Derek Twigg: The land at Augle, formerly owned by the Ministry of Defence, was transferred on 1 July 2001 to QinetiQ as part of the operational estate of the former Defence Evaluation and Research Agency which was privatised on that date. Releasing individual valuations could adversely impact on potential disposal receipts should QinetiQ dispose of the site in the future. For information, the value of all property in the overall transaction as reported in the QinetiQ opening balance sheet was £342 million for land and buildings plus £98 million for surplus properties.
	Regarding covenants, the sale would have transferred all those in the original conveyance of 1901 that were still applicable, together with those usually included in any property transaction. In addition there were certain specific covenants applying to all the sites included in the privatisation, including responsibility to repay a proportion of excess profits, over an agreed value and subject to a sliding scale, by way of clawback clause. There was also obligation to consider the Crichel Down rules in relation to any future disposal.

Departmental Land

Nick Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of his Department's compliance with the Crichel Down rules in the disposal of 50 acres of land at East Blockhouse, Augle, Pembrokeshire on 27 March 2002.

Des Browne: The Ministry of Defence transferred the former Augle site in Pembrokeshire to QinetiQ on 1 July 2001. The Crichel Down rules only apply to land acquired from 1935 onwards. As the site was acquired by the MOD in 1901, the rules did not apply. The transfer was also made under exemption 14 (6) of the 1992 version of the Crichel Down rules in use at that time.
	It is understood that QinetiQ have subsequently sold the site as part of their rationalisation process.

Departmental Land

Nick Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether a defence contractor to which his Department's land has been transferred to is subject to the Crichel Down guidance when disposing of that land.

Des Browne: Where Government land is transferred to another body (for example a defence contractor) which is to take over some or all of the obligations of the Department that currently owns the land, the transfer itself does not constitute a disposal for the purposes of the Crichel Down rules. Likewise, disposals for the purposes of Private Finance Initiatives/Private Public Partnership projects do not fall within the rules and the position of any surplus land would then be subject to the PFI/PPP contract.
	A defence contractor, having bought MOD land on the open market, would not be subject to the Crichel Down rules when disposing of that land.

Departmental Mobile Telephones

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 22 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1031W, on departmental mobile telephones, what central controls his Department maintains on the  (a) purchase and  (b) reasons for purchase of mobile telephones.

Derek Twigg: Under the Defence Fixed Telecommunication Services agreement managed by Director General Information Systems and Services, the Defence Fixed Network Integrated Project Team provide a central procurement route for the procurement of mobile phones and other Global System Mobile (GSM) devices to MOD users, and records are kept of the total number of active GSM connections and billing data.
	Justification of purchase and use of mobile phones within MOD is a local decision and no records are held centrally.

Departmental Personal Records

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of those individuals who had their personal details lost as a result of the theft in Edgbaston on 9 January of an MOD computer from the vehicle of a Royal Navy Officer are domiciled in  (a) Scotland,  (b) Wales,  (c) Northern Ireland,  (d) England and  (e) elsewhere.

Des Browne: Where a record of domicile is held, the following figures were recorded on the database at the time of the entry of the record.
	
		
			   Number 
			 Scotland 59,553 
			 Wales 37,546 
			 Northern Ireland 14,223 
			 England 459,778 
			 Elsewhere 34,667

Departmental Telephone Services

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by  (a) his Department and  (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services.

Derek Twigg: Records of 0845 or similar cost numbers are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

EU Defence Policy

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which areas of European Security and Defence Policy the Lisbon treaty will introduce qualified majority voting; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The Council will continue to act by unanimity among member states on all aspects of European Security and Defence Policy except for certain procedural items in respect of permanent structured cooperation and the European Defence Agency.
	The Council would act by qualified majority voting (QMV) when establishing permanent structured cooperation and when determining the list of participating member states, including when deciding on the participation of a member state that subsequently wishes to participate or suspending the participation of a member state which no longer fulfils the criteria or its commitments.
	In the context of the European Defence Agency, although the treaty provides for the adoption of a decision on the Statute, seat and operational rules of the agency by QMV, these matters have already been decided upon under the joint action establishing the agency. We therefore do not anticipate any further need for decisions in this area.
	The "passerelle" clause, which allows the European Council unanimously to decide to adopt a decision by QMV does not apply to decisions having military or defence implications.

EU Defence Policy

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role the new EU High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy will have in the European Defence Agency; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: We expect that the new EU High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy would become Head of the European Defence Agency. This role is currently held by the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union.

EU Defence Policy

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the application of the Solidarity Clause to the area of defence in the Lisbon Treaty.

Des Browne: The Solidarity Clause reflects EU member states' desire to offer each other support in dealing with disasters on their territory, including terrorist attacks. The use of any UK military assets under the Solidarity Clause would be on a voluntary basis and would be a sovereign decision for the UK Government to take in the light of other commitments at the time. Any support would be given only in response to a specific request by an affected member state. The arrangements required to implement the Solidarity Clause would be defined by a European Council decision. In the case that there were defence implications, the Council would decide unanimously.

European Union: Military Alliances

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effects of permanent structured co-operation on the military capabilities of  (a) the EU and  (b) NATO; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: Permanent structured co-operation is a mechanism that could contribute to the development of military capabilities by EU member states. This is consistent with UK policy to encourage European nations to improve their national defence capabilities for the benefit of both the EU and NATO.

Iraq: Armed Forces

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers are serving in the standard Iraqi  (a) brigade,  (b) division and  (c) battle group.

Des Browne: The Iraqi Army has a division, brigade and battalion as the standard operational configuration. They are established at 10,100 for the divisional level, 2,750 for the brigade level and 850 for the battalion level.

USA: Armed Forces

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many US visiting forces are based at each location in the UK.

Bob Ainsworth: The latest available figures listed as follows have been provided by the United States Visiting Force (USVF). They are approximate figures and include US military and their supporting civilian component. In most cases it has not been possible to provide figures for each location made available to the USVF because the USVF database only records its numbers by command and not by location.
	
		
			  USVF command/location  Number of USVF 
			  100th Air Refuelling Wing (includes HQ Third Air Force staff)  
			 RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk 3,400 
			   
			  48th Fighter Wing  
			 RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk (1)5,190 
			 RAF Feltwell, Norfolk (1)— 
			   
			  501st Combat Support Wing—420th Air Base Group  
			 RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire (2)240 
			 RAF Welford, Berkshire (2)— 
			   
			  501st Combat Support Wing—423rd Air Base Group  
			 RAF Alconbury, Cambridgeshire (3)425 
			 RAF Molesworth, Cambridgeshire (3)— 
			 RAF Upwood, Cambridgeshire (3)— 
			   
			  501st Combat Support Wing—422nd Air Base Group  
			 RAF Croughton, Northants (4)330 
			 RAF Barford St. John, Oxfordshire (4)— 
			 Blenheim Crescent, London(5) (4)— 
			 Edison House, London(6) (4)— 
			 Providence Court, London(7) (4)— 
			   
			  501st Combat Support Wing—421st Air Base Group and National Security Agency  
			 RAF Menwith Hill, North Yorkshire 1,400 
			 Joint Maritime Facility, RAF St. Mawgan, Cornwall 130 
			 (5 )The USVF is currently in the process of moving staff into Blenheim Crescent, London, with the final total expected to be around 120. 16 October 2007,  Official Report, column 943W refers. (6) There will be no USVF presence at Edison House, London, after the lease expires on that building on 31 January 2008. (7) A total of 17 US personnel are assigned to 2 Providence Court, London as stated in my answer of 13 November 2007,  Official Report, column 122W.

Warships

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the out-of-service date is for each  (a) submarine,  (b) frigate,  (c) destroyer and  (e) minehunter vessel in the Royal Navy.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 3 September 2007,  Official Report, column 1632W.

TRANSPORT

A11: Accidents

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic accidents there have been on the A11 in Suffolk since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of reported personal injury road accidents on the A11 in Suffolk from 1997 to 2006 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of accidents 
			 1997 38 
			 1998 49 
			 1999 35 
			 2000 35 
			 2001 53 
			 2002 43 
			 2003 46 
			 2004 24 
			 2005 37 
			 2006 30

A21

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to her answer of 15 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1084W, on A21, what the latest cost estimates are for the contracts for the A21 Tonbridge to Pembury and the A21 Kippings Cross to Lamberhurst improvement schemes.

Tom Harris: holding answer 25 January 2008
	The interim cost estimates for these A21 schemes are:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 A21 Tonbridge to Pembury 112 
			 A21 Kippings Cross to Lamberhurst 103 
		
	
	Interim cost estimates provided by the Highways Agency have been made available to the Regional Transport Boards. The south east regional bodies have been asked to confirm their support for these schemes on the basis of these interim cost estimates.
	These estimates have not been validated under the Highway Agency's new estimating procedures. Fully validated cost estimates will be provided by spring 2008.

Agricultural Machinery: Accidents

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) road traffic and  (b) on-farm accidents were reported involving an agricultural vehicle in each year from 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of reported personal injury road accidents involving at least one agricultural vehicle on a public highway in Great Britain from 1999 to 2006 is shown in the following table. Accidents on private premises, including on-farm accidents, are not collected.
	
		
			   Number of accidents 
			 1999 956 
			 2000 886 
			 2001 837 
			 2002 783 
			 2003 794 
			 2004 784 
			 2005 756 
			 2006 696 
		
	
	Agricultural vehicles were not identified separately prior to 1999.

Aviation: Radioactive Materials

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) flights and  (b) other shipments were made where (i) spent nuclear fuel, (ii) nuclear waste, (iii) other high-level and (iv) other intermediate radioactive material was transported between the UK and a foreign country in the latest year for which figures are available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 21 January 2008
	There is a variety of categorisations of radioactive material for different purposes so it is not possible to relate shipments exactly to the categories in the question. The data cover all those shipments of radioactive material for which there is a regulatory requirement to notify one or more Government agency.
	The Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003 require that the Office of Civil Nuclear Security is notified of intended shipments of nuclear material. During 2007 the following notifications were received:
	 Into the UK
	Three shipments of spent nuclear fuel.
	16 shipments of uranium fuel elements.
	31 shipments of uranium hexafluoride.
	Two shipments of uranium dioxide.
	Five shipments of Am241.
	 From the UK
	One shipment of mixed oxide (MOX) fuel elements.
	61 shipments of uranium hexafluoride.
	34 shipments of uranium dioxide.
	Five shipments of Am241.
	The regulations covering the transport of radioactive material require notification to the Department for Transport (DfT) of certain categories of shipment, mainly those containing very large quantities of radioactivity. In addition to some of the nuclear industry shipments listed above the DfT received notification of 16 shipments of large sealed sources for industrial/medical use into the UK and 34 shipments from the UK during 2007.
	There were nine shipments of UK radioactive waste for treatment overseas (of which six will involve, in due course, repatriation of radioactive waste following the treatment). These shipments were authorised by the Environment Agency under the Transfrontier Shipment of Radioactive Waste Regulations 1993.
	All the above shipments were by sea.

Bus Services: Concessions

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the national free concessionary bus pass scheme for pensioners is entirely funded by central Government.

Rosie Winterton: The Government added £350 million to formula grant in 2006-07 to fund the improvement in the statutory minimum concession from half-fare to free local bus travel. It is providing £212 million in 2008-09, rising to £217 million in 2009-10 and £223 million in 2010-11 to pay for the further enhancement of the minimum concession to free off-peak travel on local buses anywhere in England. It is also paying authorities around £31 million this year to cover the cost of introducing new smartcard based concessionary travel passes.
	The Government are confident that there is sufficient funding, in aggregate, to cover the cost of the statutory minimum concession.

Cycling

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures she intends to introduce to encourage more people to cycle.

Rosie Winterton: On 21 January this year we announced a record £140 million investment in cycling over the next three years via our delivery body, Cycling England. This is an increase of £110 million over the current budget and fulfils a commitment to increase funding for sustainable travel as set out in our strategy document 'Towards a Sustainable Transport System' in October 2007.
	The announcement was accompanied by our publication 'A Sustainable Future for Cycling' which sets out the background on our investment. Copies will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
	This investment will enable an extra 500,000 children to have access to the new Bikeability cycle training by 2012 and create many additional safer walking and cycling routes to at least 500 schools.
	It will also allow Cycling England to work with a number of local authorities via their Cycling Demonstration Town programme where they expect to fund a further 10 towns and a large city. This will provide up to 17 demonstration areas covering around three million people highlighting best practice in the design and promotion of cycling and enables these and other local authorities to learn and be inspired by those lessons.
	This will be in addition to the investment made by local authorities, which was around £60 million in 2006-07.

Cycling

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to increase the safety of cyclists on roads.

Jim Fitzpatrick: On 21 January this year, we announced we are investing a record £140 million in cycling over the next three years. This will enable an extra 500,000 children to have access to the new Bikeability cycle training by 2012 and create many additional safer walking and cycling routes to at least 500 schools.
	Measures to improve road safety for all cyclists include providing better infrastructure, promoting cycle training, improved training and testing for motorists and encouraging cyclists to protect themselves, by making themselves conspicuous and by wearing a safety helmet.
	The new edition of the Highway Code, published in September 2007, includes enhanced advice to all road users to look out for and be aware of vulnerable road users, including cyclists. To make drivers more aware of cyclists the theory test question bank contains a large number of questions about vulnerable road users. The screen-based theory test allows the use of digitised video clips to help test hazard perception with moving images, which include cyclists.
	We concentrate our cycle safety publicity on teenagers and younger children, as these are the most vulnerable groups. We have run various cycle safety campaigns over the last 10 years. Currently, cycling safety messages for younger children are included on the Hedgehogs website including advice and games. In 2006 we produced an online advertisement for children called 'No helmet, no ride', which encourages children to wear a cycle helmet.
	There is also the cyclesense website aimed at teenage cyclists, giving advice and tips on cycling safety. In 2007 we ran an MTV/THINK! competition, where teenagers were asked to come up with ideas for TV commercials about road safety, including cycling, aimed at their peers. This activity ran over five months and the three best ideas were produced as TV commercials and teens voted for their favourite ad online.
	The Department's leaflet 'Drive Safe Cycle Safe' also encourages drivers and cyclists to share the road safely. The Department has grant funded a number of projects to improve road safety for cyclists including a ROSPA produced DVD on safety for cyclists and lorries.

Departmental Telephone Services

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by  (a) her Department and  (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The numbers of 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers used by the Department of Transport and its Agencies are as follows:
	
		
			   Numbers of 0845 or similar cost numbers  Comments 
			 DfT (Central) 1 0845 
			 DVLA 17 Fifteen 0870, one 0845 and one 0800 
			 HA 4 Two 0845 and two 0870 
			 DSA 4 The four 0870 numbers are currently being changed to 0300 numbers. Both are being run simultaneously for a few months to assist customer migration, and 0870 will then be discontinued. 
			 MCA 1 0870 
			 VOSA 3 Two 0870 and one 0845 
			 VGA 1 0844 
			 GCDA 0

Galileo

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made of the effect of the positioning of a back-up control centre for Galileo in a different country from the primary control centre on the  (a) costs and  (b) operational effectiveness of the system.

Rosie Winterton: The European Space Agency, which has the responsibility for the technical development of Galileo, has worked with European industry on the optimum design of the Galileo system, including the level of resilience that needs to be built into a system of this kind. This work identified the need for two fully interchangeable control centres that are geographically separated to protect against natural hazards such as earthquakes. The costs of the two centres are included in the cost ceiling of €3.4 billion for Galileo in the period of the Financial Perspective 2007-13.

Galileo

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on the UK bid to host the permanent offices of Galileo; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The Department for Transport, in partnership with the Welsh Assembly Government, the Wales Office, the Foreign Commonwealth Office and other Departments, continues to promote Cardiff as a location for the Galileo Supervisory Authority (GSA).
	However, substantive discussions between member states on a permanent location for the GSA's offices will not take place until the authority's remit and powers have been defined in a European Regulation. This is expected to be passed later in the year.

Galileo

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on determining  (a) which legal regime will govern the concession contract of the Galileo programme and  (b) which courts will have jurisdiction over the contract.

Rosie Winterton: It was originally envisaged that Galileo would be built and operated by a private sector body under a concession contract. However, the Transport Council concluded in June last year that these concession negotiations had failed and should end. Instead, the Community has agreed that the deployment and initial operation of Galileo to 2013 should be taken forward through a public procurement managed by the Commission.
	The December Transport Council agreed that decisions on arrangements for the subsequent operation of the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems could be taken only after further studies, and invited the Commission to undertake these by the end of 2008 bringing forward proposals at the appropriate time. Issues over which legal regime would govern any concession contract for operations, or which courts would have jurisdiction, will be considered at that point.

Heathrow Airport

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects National Air Traffic Services Ltd to submit a design that is feasible and safe regarding mixed mode options for expanding Heathrow capacity as outlined in paragraphs 3.43 to 3.45, page 49 of the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport public consultation document; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 24 January 2008
	If the Government give policy support for mixed mode operations following the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport consultation, it would then be a commercial decision for the airport operator, BAA, to determine whether they wish to pursue mixed mode operations.
	If they do, BAA would seek the support of NATS (formerly 'National Air Traffic Services Ltd'), the air navigation services provider, to develop a detailed airspace change proposal in accordance with arrangements under the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)'s independent Airspace Change Process.
	At this stage, it is not possible to give accurate timings on when NATS might develop a detailed airspace change proposal for subsequent review and decision by the CAA. However, if Government gives a policy decision in support of mixed mode operations in 2008, BAA pursues its development soon after, and regulatory approval subject to detailed design is secured, DfT estimates, as set out in the consultation document, that introduction of mixed mode within the current capacity limit might be possible by 2010-11 and mixed mode above the current capacity limit by 2015.

Heathrow Airport

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport public consultation document, what monetary value she has placed on the reduction in costs to passengers noted in paragraph 2.37, page 143-144; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 25 January 2008
	The breakdown of the monetised benefits from each option in the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport consultation document is given in table 4.3 (p79) of 'UK Air Passenger Demand and CO2 Forecasts', available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/aviation/environmentalissues/ukairdemandandco2forecasts/
	The following table reproduces the figures for the three consultation document options. The first bullet point of paragraph 2.37, page 143-144, of the consultation
	
		
			  Option  One  Two  Three 
			 Generated users 9 9 9 
			 Existing users (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Freight users (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Producers 5 5 5 
			 Government 3 3 3 
			 Carbon (1)5 (1)5 (1)5 
			 Noise (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Delay Reductions:
			 Users (2)— 1 2 
			 Carbon (2)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Total 12 13 14 
			 (1) Non-zero impact is estimated, but the result rounds to nought at zero decimal places.  (2) No impact has been estimated.   Note:  Figures are rounded to zero decimal places.

Heathrow Airport: Air Passenger Duty

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport consultation document, Annex B Impact Assessment Options 1, 2 and 3, what amount of air passenger duty government tax revenue benefit was included as part of the key monetised benefits calculation for each option; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 16 January 2008
	The breakdown of the monetised benefits from each option in the "Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport" consultation document is given in table 4.3 (p79) of "UK Air Passenger Demand and CO2 Forecasts", available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/aviation/environmentalissues/ukairdemandandco2forecasts/
	The following table reproduces the figures for the three consultation document options. The "government" row of this table reports the estimated additional air passenger duty expected from each option.
	
		
			  Adding Capacity at Heathrow Consultation: Breakdown of transport user benefits by option 
			  £ billion, NPV, 2006 prices 
			  Option  One  Two  Three 
			 Generated users 9 9 9 
			 Existing users (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Freight users (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Producers 5 5 5 
			 Government 3 3 3 
			 Carbon -5 -5 -5 
			 Noise (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Delay Reductions:
			 Users (2)— 1 2 
			 Carbon (2)— (1)— (1)— 
			 
			 Total 12 13 14 
			 (1) A non-zero impact is estimated, but the result rounds to nought at zero decimal places.  (2) No impact has been estimated.   Note:  Figures are rounded to zero decimal places.

Network Rail: Repairs and Maintenance

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had with Network Rail on its programme of engineering work over the Easter 2008 holiday period.

Tom Harris: The Government have no power to intervene in Network Rail's operations. However, the Secretary of State met with Iain Coucher, chief executive of Network Rail, on 3 January 2008 to inform him that the disruption to rail services from the engineering over-runs over the Christmas/new year period was unacceptable; and to seek his assurance that such delays would not be repeated and that lessons will be learned.

Pedestrian Crossings

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the PV squared formula is the recommended method for establishing whether a pedestrian crossing is required on a particular stretch of road.

Rosie Winterton: There is no such criterion in the Department's current guidance. PV(2) was superseded in 1995 by a decision framework approach in Local Transport Note 1/95, The Assessment of Pedestrian Crossings. The current guidance lists a number of parameters to be considered including the number of vehicles, speed of approach, number of pedestrians, proximity of schools, and stations. Using these in a decision framework enables local authorities to compare alternative solutions and make an objective decision as to whether a crossing is needed and which type is most suitable.

Railways

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions she has had regarding the operation of a rail service on each day of the year; what further discussions she plans to have; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: Service provision on each day of the year is a matter for Network Rail, as the owner and operator of the national network, and the train operators.

Railways: Kent

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by what date her Department expects the Javelin-operated high speed domestic services from Kent to St. Pancras to be operational.

Tom Harris: Southeastern will begin operation of the high speed domestic services from Kent to St. Pancras in December 2009.

Railways: Radioactive Wastes

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate her Department has made of the numbers of train journeys which would be required to transport nuclear waste on the commissioning of new nuclear power stations in each year; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government's White Paper on Meeting the Energy Challenge (A White Paper on Nuclear Power, January 2008) stated that new nuclear power stations built in the UK should proceed on the basis that the spent fuel will not require reprocessing. This will mean that the used nuclear fuel will be stored on the reactor site and the transport of it will be minimised during the lifetime of the reactor.
	The Department for Transport therefore cannot make this estimate as information is not yet available on the number or types of reactors proposed to be built, or their locations.

Roads: Accidents

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) injuries and  (b) deaths there were on roads in (i) West Cornwall and Isles of Scilly constituency of St. Ives, (ii) Cornwall and (iii) the UK in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The numbers of  (a) injuries (serious or slight) and  (b) deaths resulting from reported personal injury road accidents from 1997 to 2006 in (i) St. Ives parliamentary constituency, (ii) Cornwall and (iii) Great Britain are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Number of casualties 
			   St. Ives constituency( 1)  Cornwall  Great Britain 
			   Injured( 2)  Killed  Injured( 2)  Killed  Injured( 2)  Killed 
			 1997 413 10 2,769 45 324,204 3,599 
			 1998 441 4 2,676 37 321,791 3,421 
			 1999 483 4 2,717 30 316,887 3,423 
			 2000 420 6 2,616 35 316,874 3,409 
			 2001 375 8 2,809 40 309,859 3,450 
			 2002 405 8 2,676 53 299,174 3,431 
			 2003 442 5 2,816 30 287,099 3,508 
			 2004 420 3 2,694 44 277,619 3,221 
			 2005 420 7 2,855 45 267,816 3,201 
			 2006 412 11 2,640 50 255,232 3,172 
			 (1 )Based on 2004 parliamentary constituency boundaries. (2 )Serious and slight injuries.

Roads: Accidents

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) injuries and  (b) deaths were sustained in collisions with emergency services vehicles on roads in (i) West Cornwall and Isles of Scilly constituency of St. Ives, (ii) Cornwall and (iii) the UK in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The numbers of  (a) injuries (serious or slight) and  (b) deaths resulting from reported personal injury road accidents involving at least one emergency vehicle (ambulance, fire engine or police) from 1997 to 2006 in (i) St. Ives parliamentary constituency, (ii) Cornwall and (iii) Great Britain are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Number of casualties 
			   St. Ives  c onstituency( 1)  Cornwall  Great Britain 
			   Injure d( 2)  Killed  Injured( 2)  Killed  Injured( 2)  Killed 
			 1997 5 0 20 0 4,338 24 
			 1998 6 0 42 0 4,168 28 
			 1999 8 0 33 0 3,983 28 
			 2000 1 0 22 0 4,187 34 
			 2001 1 0 20 0 3,994 36 
			 2002 3 0 37 2 4,095 39 
			 2003 5 0 29 1 3,909 41 
			 2004 1 0 32 2 3,796 38 
			 2005 3 0 33 0 3,377 32 
			 2006 1 0 15 0 3,428 35 
			 (1) Based on 2004 parliamentary constituency boundaries. (2 )Serious or slight injury.

Roads: Tolls

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make a statement on the application of tag and beacon technology in road pricing schemes.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 25 January 2008
	Experience in a number of road tolling schemes around the world shows how tag and beacon technology can be a cost-effective way of charging for road use. We are encouraging the further exploration of its potential, including in the local pricing schemes that are being considered by local authorities, as part of packages combining investment in transport and demand management that could be supported by the Transport Innovation Fund.

Transport: Costs

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average cost was of travelling a mile by  (a) road,  (b) rail and  (c) air, expressed in (i) constant and (ii) current price in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The estimated average cost to passengers of travelling a mile by car (and van) and rail in both constant and current prices in pence are given in the following table. Information on passenger costs per mile for air travel is not available centrally.
	
		
			   Rail( 1)  Car (and van)( 2) 
			   Current  2006-07 prices  Current  2006-07 prices 
			 1997-98 (1)— (1)— 18 22 
			 1998-99 (1)— (1)— 20 24 
			 1999-2000 14 17 20 24 
			 2000-01 14 16 21 25 
			 2001-02 15 17 22 25 
			 2002-03 15 17 24 27 
			 2003-04 15 16 24 26 
			 2004-05 16 17 24 26 
			 2005-06 17 18 24 25 
			 2006-07 17 17 (2)— (2)— 
			 (1) Not available (2) Not yet available  Notes: 1. Estimates are for the average cost faced by the transport user, net of any subsidy to the rail operators. 2. Motoring costs include expenditure on car purchase, spares, maintenance, insurance, taxation, fuel and parking, but excludes costs paid by employers.  Source: Estimates for rail average costs are based on revenue collected by operators and mileage estimates published in National Rail Trends by the Office of the Rail Regulator. The car (and van) motoring costs estimates are based on household expenditure on private motoring from the Expenditure and Food Survey and the Family Expenditure Survey published in Food Spending 2006 by the Office for National Statistics and household mileage figures from the National Travel Survey (NTS) carried out on behalf of my Department. As some business mileage is included in the NTS, this methodology under estimates motoring costs.

Vehicle Registration: Fines

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been raised in revenue by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency via fines for failing to notify change of vehicle ownership in the last two years; what the cost has been of taking such action; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) collected £1,103,000 from April 2005 to March 2006, £913,000 from April 2006 to March 2007 and £813,000 in the financial year to date (April 2007 to December 2007) in revenue from fines raised for failing to notify of a change of vehicle ownership.
	This revenue is paid over directly to HM Treasury.
	The DVLA for the first time began keeping a record of the estimated annual costs of taking action against failure to notify changes of vehicle ownership from April 2007. The estimated level of costs is £617,000 for the financial year April 2007 to March 2008.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Security

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the safety of departmental staff working in Afghanistan following the bombing of the Serena Hotel.

Kim Howells: The safety of Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff abroad is of paramount importance. Security of FCO personnel in Afghanistan is reviewed regularly and has been revisited since the attack on the Serena Hotel. We do not, however, comment on specific security arrangements at any mission overseas.

Burma: Politics and Government

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking in support of the United Nation Security Council's call for greater dialogue between the military government and pro-democracy leaders in Burma.

Meg Munn: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I have made clear to UN, EU and regional partners the UK's support for the UN Secretary-General's Good Offices mission to seek reconciliation in Burma. We support Aung San Suu Kyi's call for 'meaningful and time-bound' dialogue between the regime and opposition and ethnic groups.

Burma: Sanctions

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans there are to increase the number of Burmese officials subject to the EU asset freeze and travel ban.

Meg Munn: The UK, with its EU partners, is considering a range of measures that could be implemented through the EU Common Position, should the Burmese regime fail to engage constructively with the UN or make significant progress towards political reform and genuine national reconciliation. Among the measures under consideration is an extension of the list of those covered by the asset freeze and visa ban under the Common Position.
	18 more Burmese officials and 48 individuals who have benefited from the regime's economic policies were added to the list in November 2007.

Children's Rights: EC Action

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the Treaty of Lisbon, if ratified, on the rights of children and young people.

Jim Murphy: The Treaty of Lisbon sets out for the first time in article 1.4 that the protection of children's rights is one of the objectives of the EU:
	"It (the EU) shall combat social exclusion and discrimination, and shall promote social justice and protection, equality between women and men, solidarity between generations and protection of the rights of the child."
	The Government support this reference which ensures that children's rights are taken into account in the EU's actions.
	The treaty also recognises the importance of protecting children's rights in its outward facing actions:
	"In its relations with the wider world, the Union shall... contribute to... eradication of poverty and the protection of human rights, in particular the rights of the child....".

Departmental Consultants

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultancy contracts his Department issued in each year since 2005; what the  (a) value,  (b) purpose and  (c) contractor was in each case; and whether the consultant's report is publicly available in each case.

Meg Munn: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Annual expenditure on external consultants is published in the Department's annual reports, copies of which are in the Library of the House. The two most recent annual reports also contain details of expenditure on the top five consultancy suppliers. The vast majority of work undertaken for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office by consultants is associated with its major Information Communication Technology and Estate construction programmes.
	I also refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Hemsworth (Jon Trickett) on 6 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1427W, and to the reply my hon. Friend the Minister for Europe (Mr. Murphy) gave to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 9 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 542-43W.

Departmental Internet

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2008,  Official Report, column 852W, on the departmental internet, what the grade is of the locally engaged commercial officer who works on the blogging platform.

Meg Munn: The officer is a grade one locally engaged commercial officer.

Departmental Telephone Services

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by  (a) his Department and  (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services.

Meg Munn: There are two 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers in use by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and related departmental bodies for public access to services. These are used for consular and visa enquiries.
	Information relating to similar cost telephones at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Missions abroad is not held centrally and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

Eritrea: Human Rights

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Eritrea; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: We monitor events in Eritrea closely and remain deeply concerned about Eritrea's human rights record.
	Our embassy in Asmara is aware of the detention without charge by the Eritrean Government of members of minority religious groups, journalists, leading political figures and members of civil society. This is unacceptable and contravenes international human rights agreements to which Eritrea is a party.
	Our ambassador in Asmara raises these issues with the Eritrean Government at every suitable opportunity. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials do likewise with the Eritrean embassy in the UK.
	We also raise our concerns on human rights through the EU. For example the EU lobbied Eritrea on the sixth anniversary of the detention in September 2001 of the G11, 11 members of the Eritrean political party who protested at the government's direction in a letter to President Isaias, together with a number of journalists who were also detained at that time.
	Following up on reports of human rights abuses is not easy in Eritrea. There are no independent local journalists. There are neither local nor international human rights non-governmental organisations operating in Eritrea. The police and security services are not willing to engage with embassies on these matters. Travel restrictions mean foreign diplomats may only leave Asmara with written permission.
	We will continue to monitor the human rights situation in Eritrea, raising our concerns with the Eritrean Government whenever possible.

Eritrea: Human Rights

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the treatment of Christians in Eritrea; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: We continue to be concerned by reports of detentions of members of minority Christian Churches. While Orthodox Christians, Catholics and the major Protestant Churches, who make up an estimated 40-50 per cent. of the population of Eritrea, are usually able to worship openly, some church activities can be restricted and members of smaller churches are not free to pursue their faith.
	We will continue to urge the Government of Eritrea to allow all its citizens to worship as they wish, as set out in article 18 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Ethiopia: Somalia

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of relations between Somalia and Ethiopia; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: The Transitional Federal government of Somalia and the Government of Ethiopia maintain close relations. There is currently an Ethiopian military presence in Somalia at the request of the Transitional Federal government.

European Commission

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what liaison work is undertaken between his Department and the political intelligence section of the European Commission in London; what meetings have taken place as part of that work in the last 12 months; what matters have been discussed at these meetings; and who participated in them.

Jim Murphy: Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and officials liaise regularly with the European Commission's Delegation in London across the full range of EU issues.
	Most recently I met the Head of the European Commission's London Delegation, Mr. Reijo Kemppinen, on 15 January. The meeting focussed on the issues of climate change and forthcoming visits by senior Commission figures to the UK.

Gaza: Politics and Government

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government have taken to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Kim Howells: The Government are committed to helping all Palestinians, including the people of Gaza. In financial year 2007-08 the UK has provided £31 million bilaterally to the Palestinians: £15 million through the UN Relief and Works Agency; £1 million to the International Committee for the Red Cross' work in the west bank and Gaza; and £15 million through the Temporary International Mechanism.
	We are deeply concerned by the escalating security and humanitarian situation in Gaza and southern Israel. We deplore the suffering on both sides and urge all parties to exercise restraint. All parties should work for the normal operation of the Gaza crossings.

Gaza: Politics and Government

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place between the Government and the Israeli government on the situation in Gaza.

Kim Howells: The Government continue to believe that Israeli security and Palestinian suffering and hardship need to be addressed together, and they can only be addressed through mutual recognition, which will be vital to long-term stability in the area.
	As my right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for International Development said on 21 January:
	"The recent escalation of violence between Gazans and Israelis is extremely grave".
	Our ambassador in Tel Aviv regularly raises our concerns with the Israeli government about the security and humanitarian situation in Gaza. My right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for International Development have issued statements about the situation in Gaza on 30 October 2007, 11 January and 21 January 2008.
	I made clear the Government's concerns on the situation in Gaza when I met the Israeli ambassador on 17 January.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary will also be discussing the situation in Gaza with his European colleagues at the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council on 28 January. He raised our concerns in his conversation on 24 January with the Israeli Foreign Minister.

Holocaust Memorial Day

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department plans to take to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust and more recent genocides on Holocaust Memorial Day.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Hazel Blears) represented the Government at the UK's main commemoration event at the London Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool on 27 January along with 1,600 other guests, including Holocaust and genocide survivors, young people from Liverpool, dignitaries and ambassadors. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials in London and around the world also be attended many of the hundreds of events to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.
	The Government are deeply committed to promoting Holocaust education and remembrance, and to combating all forms of racism and anti-Semitism. To this end, we strongly support the work of the International Task Force on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research, which works to promote greater knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust across the world.

Kenya: Politics and Government

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the likelihood of the unrest in Kenya developing into civil war; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: The Government fully condemn all acts of violence in Kenya. While there is widespread tension across Kenya, outbreaks of violence have, for the most part, been limited to parts of Western, Nyanza, and Rift Valley provinces, informal settlements in Nairobi and parts of Mombasa Town. It is important that all Kenya's leaders come together in a process of dialogue to agree a way forward that respects the democratic will of the Kenyan people and restores Kenya to peace, stability and prosperity.

Kenya: Politics and Government

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made an assessment of the merits of establishing an international sanctions regime against the government of Kenya in response to recent civil unrest within Kenya; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: The Government are deeply concerned about the post-election crisis in Kenya. This is why we are fully supporting the African Union initiative to facilitate talks between the political parties. The current focus is on restoring stability through political agreement. The international community has not ruled out any options in seeking to help return Kenya to the path of peace, stability and prosperity.

Kenya: Politics and Government

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of  (a) whether the recent elections in Kenya were fair and free and  (b) reported irregularities during the period of the election; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: We share the concerns raised by the East Africa Community, Commonwealth election observation reports and the EU preliminary statement about alleged irregularities in the conduct of the Kenyan elections, specifically in the tallying process. These irregularities need to be investigated.

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his officials last met members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: In November 2006, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials travelled with my right hon. Friend the Member for Torfaen (Mr. Murphy) to meet the then political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
	In addition, officials regularly meet community groups, who reflect a variety of views, some supportive of the LTTE's political position. During a debate in the House on Sri Lanka on 17 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 1183-1188, I stressed the importance that we attach to listening to views from across the communities and called on the Sri Lankan diaspora to play a constructive role in bringing peace.

Natural Resources: Armed Conflict

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by what means the Government are supporting the Kimberley Process on conflict diamonds; and what funding the Government are providing to support the continuation of the process.

Meg Munn: The UK is fully committed to implementing the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. The Government Diamond Office, sits within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and works closely with HM Revenue and Customs, the UK diamond industry and civil society groups to ensure effective implementation of the provisions of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme.
	In the past year, an official from the Government Diamond Office has taken part in Kimberley Process review visits to Romania and Bulgaria. A staff member of the Government Diamond Office also formed part of last year's extraordinary review mission to Ghana, as part of wider efforts to ensure full compliance of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme among all participants in order to eradicate the trade in conflict diamonds.
	In 2007, the UK supported the European Union's chairmanship of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme by funding a non-governmental organisation secondee to provide logistical support to European Commission.

Natural Resources: Armed Conflict

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funding the Government are providing to promoting the Extractives Industry Transparency Initiative scheme.

Douglas Alexander: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) has provided to date a total of 6.9 million to support the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) globally.

Sri Lanka

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met members of the Sri Lankan Government; what was discussed; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: When my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister in November 2007, at the Commonwealth Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Kampala, he reiterated our view that respect for human rights and democracy would help ensure a strong Sri Lanka and that we stood ready to support a process of reconciliation.

Sri Lanka

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans next to meet representatives of the Sri Lankan Government.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no current plans to meet representatives of the Sri Lankan Government. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials here and in Colombo remain in regular contact with Sri Lankan Government representatives.

Sri Lanka: Children

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the deployment of child soldiers in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The UN Children's Fund and Radhika Coomaraswamy, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for children and armed conflict, regularly report on the recruitment of child soldiers by both the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and Tamileela Peoples Liberation Tigers (known as the TMVP). We condemn the recruitment of children in violation of international law and praise the continuing efforts of UN agencies under difficult circumstances to combat this appalling practice.

Sri Lanka: Peace Negotiations

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's involvement in the peace process in Sri Lanka.

Kim Howells: I refer my right hon. Friend to my statement during the debate on Sri Lanka in the House on 17 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 1183-1188.

Williams Draft Dossier

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs further to the decision of the Information Tribunal dated 22 January 2008, when he plans to make public a copy of the Williams draft dossier; and in what format the document will be made available.

Kim Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is considering the judgment and the legal options available to it. It would be premature to say anything more at this stage.
	If, and when, the document is made available it will be released in the form in which we have it, subject to a very small redaction in the manuscript annotations that the Information Tribunal ordered should be made under section 27 of the Freedom of Information Act.

Williams Draft Dossier

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs further to the decision of the Information Tribunal dated 22 January 2008, paragraph 22 (iv), which two individuals annotated the Williams draft; and what status these contributions had within the drafting process.

Kim Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is currently considering the Information Tribunal's judgment and the legal options available to it. It would not be appropriate to comment on the specifics of the document at this stage.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Departmental Manpower

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many staff within the Cabinet Office work for the Prime Minister's Office, other than those directly employed by that Office.

Edward Miliband: One of the Cabinet Office's key objectives is 'Supporting the Prime Minister to define and deliver the Government's objectives'. Details of staff numbers that support this objective are provided in the Cabinet Office Departmental Report 2007 which is published on the Cabinet Office website and is available in the Library of the House.

WALES

Departmental Consultants

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultancy contracts his Department issued in each year since 2005; what the  (a) value,  (b) purpose and  (c) contractor was in each case; and whether the consultant's report is publicly available in each case.

Paul Murphy: The only consultancy contract the Wales Office has issued since 2005 was in 2006-07. ER consultants were appointed to conduct staff surveys and provide analysis, facilitation and support for the change management programme.
	The total cost of the contract was 37,699.
	The various activities did not give rise to a written report.

Departmental Information Officers

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department paid in bonuses to press and communication officers in each of the last 10 years; and what the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest such bonus was in each of those years.

Paul Murphy: Nil.

Departmental Telephone Services

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by his Department for public access to services.

Paul Murphy: None.

Departmental Travel

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department spent on travel  (a) within and  (b) outside the UK for officials in each of the last 10 years; and what percentage of his Department's overall expenditure was spent on such travel in each such year.

Paul Murphy: The information requested can be provided only at a disproportionate cost for the years 1999 to 2003-04.
	 2004-05
	Travel within UK totalled 81,599.75
	Travel outside UK totalled 18,238.
	This accounts for 3 per cent. of the total expenditure for that year.
	 2005-06
	Travel within UK totalled 123,754.69.
	Travel outside UK totalled 546.
	This accounts for 3 per cent. of the total expenditure for that year.
	 2006-07
	Travel within UK totalled 79,435.23.
	Travel outside UK totalled 8,416.
	This accounts for 2 per cent. of the total expenditure for that year.

Departmental Visits Abroad

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many overseas visits by officials in his Department took place in each of the last 10 years; which countries were visited; and how much was spent on such visits in each such year.

Paul Murphy: Detailed information requested can be provided only at a disproportionate cost for the years 1999 to 2003-04.
	Officials from my Department have travelled overseas only since 2004 to accompany Ministers. The cost of overseas visits by officials since 2004 was:
	 2004-05
	18,238 for one visit to China.
	 2006-07
	8,697.51 for one visit to the United States of America.
	450.00 for one visit to Brussels.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the cost was of engaging Veredus Recruitment Consultants to recruit the Chair, Commissioner and non-executives for the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission;
	(2)  what criteria were used in selecting Veredus Recruitment Consultants to recruit the Chair, Commissioner and non-executives for the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.

James Plaskitt: I refer the hon. Member to my statement of 25 July 2007,  Official Report, column 87WS. The precise costs incurred to engage Veredus to recruit the Chair, Commissioner and non-executives for the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission are commercially confidential.
	The selection of Veredus Recruitment Consultants to recruit the Chair Commissioner and non-executives for the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission was made through the Cabinet Office framework for services of this type and was based on the principles of fair and open competition and value for money.

Children: Maintenance

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the rationale is for taking a parent's new partner's income into account in setting contributions under the old Child Support Agency rules; and if he will give consideration to amending the old rules to reflect the situation under the new rules.

James Plaskitt: Statutory maintenance schemes have been designed around the principle that the responsibility to support a child applies to its natural or adoptive parents.
	Responsibility does not extend to a parent's new partner. In the old child support scheme, the non-resident parent's partner's income may be taken into account in order to assess the extent to which the partner may be expected to contribute financially to the upkeep of any children of their relationship, and to ensure that that family has sufficient disposable income to meet their day-to-day needs. This could affect the amount of maintenance that the non-resident parent must pay.
	Under the new child support scheme, introduced in March 2003, the method of calculating child support maintenance was simplified in a number of ways, which included removing the need to take into account the non-resident parent's partner's income.
	Currently there are no plans to change the old rules to reflect the new rules. However, once the future scheme, currently being debated by Parliament in the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill, is fully implemented, all cases will operate on a single set of rules and, as with the new scheme, no account will be taken of a parent's new partner's income.

Departmental Recycling

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what  (a) volume and  (b) percentage of its waste his Department recycled in each of the last five years.

James Plaskitt: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 10 January 2008,  Official Report, column 716W.

Disability Living Allowance: Partially Sighted

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions his Department has had with the Royal National Institute for the Blind on whether severe sight loss should be included as criteria for qualifying for the higher-rate mobility component of the disability living allowance.

Anne McGuire: I have met with representatives of RNIB on 11 September 2006 and again on 4 December 2007. Officials from the Department met and corresponded with representatives of RNIB on a number of occasions in 2007, most recently on 13 December 2007.

Employment Schemes: Lone Parents

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents have taken part in pathways broken down by  (a) ethnicity,  (b) age of youngest child and  (c) number of children.

Caroline Flint: The available information is in the following tables.
	Information on the number of lone parents who have taken part in new deal for lone parents broken down by number of children is not available.
	
		
			  Number of lone parents who have taken part in new deal for lone parents by ethnicity, cumulative until August 2007 
			  Ethnic group  Number of lone parents 
			 White 660,860 
			 BlackCaribbean 21,250 
			 BlackAfrican 17,040 
			 BlackOther 4,950 
			 Indian 5,680 
			 Pakistani 6,740 
			 Bangladeshi 1,510 
			 Chinese 1,010 
			 Mixed/Other 20,200 
			 Prefer not to say 49,800 
			 Not recorded 27,840 
			 Total 816,880 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of lone parents who have taken part in new deal for lone parents by age of youngest child, cumulative until August 2007 
			   Age group of youngest child  Number of lone parents 
			 0-2  178,140 
			 3-5  178,210 
			 6-8  137,810 
			 9-12  144,120 
			 13-15  104,260 
			 Unknown  74,350 
			 Total  816,880 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 and displayed in thousands and therefore may not sum. 2. Ethnic group is self-assessed and recorded on the Labour Market System. 3. Information relates to lone parents who have taken part in the New deal for lone parents only.  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate

Jobcentre Plus

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he next plans to visit a job centre; and which job centres he has visited since 20 July 2007.

James Purnell: I took up post in the Department on Thursday 24 January and my officials are in the process of developing a full programme of visits.

Poverty

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of people were living in relative poverty, below 40 per cent. of median income, in the UK in each year between 1979 and 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The most common and internationally recognised threshold to measure poverty is income below 60 per cent. of median. We do not present information covering 40 per cent. of median income in our Households Below Average Income series as it is not a good measure of poverty. This is because households stating the lowest incomes to the family resources survey (FRS) may not actually have the lowest living standards. Many people who report very low incomes appear to have high spending. Hence any statistics on numbers in this group may be misleading.
	Specific information regarding low income for the United Kingdom is available in Households Below Average Income 1994-95 to 2005-06. This annual report, which is a National Statistics publication, includes the numbers and proportions of individuals, children, working age adults and pensioners with incomes below 50 per cent., 60 per cent. and 70 per cent. of median income, and the proportions in persistent poverty.
	Available information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number and percentage of individuals living below 40 per cent. of median income in each year between 1979 and 2005-06 where data are available 
			   Before Housing Costs  After Housing Costs 
			   Number (million)  Percentage  Number (million)  Per cent 
			 1979 1.0 2 1.3 2 
			 1981 1.1 2 1.5 3 
			 1987 1.5 3 2.8 5 
			 1988-89 2.4 4 3.9 7 
			 1990-91 3.1 5 4.7 8 
			 1991-92 2.9 5 4.8 9 
			 1992-93 2.9 5 5.0 9 
			 1993-95 2.6 5 5.0 9 
			 1994-96 2.4 4 5.0 9 
			 1995-97 2.4 4 5.2 9 
			  
			 1994-95 2.3 4 4.6 8 
			 1995-96 2.3 4 4.2 8 
			 1996-97 2.4 4 4.9 9 
			 1997-98 2.7 5 4.8 9 
			  
			 1998-99 2.7 5 4.8 8 
			 1999-00 2.9 5 4.9 9 
			 2000-01 3.0 5 4.9 8 
			 2001-02 2.8 5 4.6 8 
			 2002-03 3.0 5 4.9 8 
			 2003-04 3.0 5 5.0 9 
			 2004-05 2.9 5 4.9 8 
			 2005-06 3.2 5 5.2 9 
			  Sources:   1. 1979 to 1997: Family Expenditure Survey (UK)   2. 1994 to 1998: Family Resources Survey (GB)   3. 1998 to 2006: Family Resources Survey (UK)

Poverty

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of those aged 16 to 24 years were classed as living in poverty in each financial year since 1989-90.

Caroline Flint: Available information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of people aged 16 to 24 living in relative poverty, 1994-95 to 2005-06 
			  Million 
			   Before housing costs  After housing costs 
			 1994-95 1.2 1.8 
			 1995-96 1.0 1.6 
			 1996-97 1.2 1.8 
			 1997-98 1.1 1.6 
			 1998-99 1.0 1.6 
			 1999-2000 1.1 1.6 
			 2000-01 1.1 1.5 
			 2001-02 1.1 1.5 
			 2002-03 1.2 1.7 
			 2003-04 1.1 1.7 
			 2004-05 1.2 1.7 
			 2005-06 1.4 2.0 
			  Notes: 1. Data are not available from this source for 1989-90 to1993-94. 2. The information shown is for the United Kingdom from 2002-03 onwards. Earlier years are Great Britain only. 3. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' series, which uses disposable household income, equivalised for household size and composition, as a proxy for standard of living using the OECD equivalence scale. 4. This response uses the Government's preferred measure of relative low income poverty, defined as being in a household with a household income of less than 60 per cent. of the contemporary median income. This is an internationally recognised measure. 5. Figures have been presented on both a before housing cost and after housing cost basis. For before housing cost, housing costs (such as rent, water rates, mortgage interest payments, structural insurance payments and ground rent and service charges) are not deducted from income, while for after housing cost they are. This means that after housing cost incomes will generally be lower than before housing cost. 6. Amounts in the tables have been presented in millions, rounded to the nearest 100,000 people.  Source:  Family Resources Survey, 1994-95 to 2005-06.

Poverty: Children

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of children living in poverty are in households liable to pay full council tax; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: Just under a quarter of all children living in relative poverty are in households liable for full council tax.
	 Notes:
	1. Households are defined as being in poverty if their income is less than 60 per cent. of the national median equivalised income level. Income here is measured on a before housing costs basis.
	2. These figures have been derived using the Policy Simulation Model (PSM) which uses data from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). These are estimated indicative figures.
	3. The PSM models the calculation of individual taxes and income-related benefit entitlement, by deriving detailed microdata from the latest available FRS.
	4. The PSM models the current policy year (2007-08) using the latest FRS data (2005-06), by up-rating the FRS to represent the appropriate policy year.
	5. The analysis provided assumes full take-up of income-related benefits in the current policy year.

Poverty: Council Tax

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people classed as living in poverty paid full council tax in each financial year since 1993-94.

Caroline Flint: Fewer poor households would pay full council tax if households took up their entitlement to council tax benefit. According to the National Statistics publication, 'Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-up in 2005-06', take-up of council tax benefit by non-pensioners is relatively high (in the range of 73 to 81 per cent. of those eligible in 2005-06). While the level of council tax benefit take-up in 2005-06 among pensioners is lower, it increased as a percentage of those eligible in 2005-06 for the first time since 1997 to the range 54 to 60 per cent.
	Available information on how many households in poverty paid full council tax is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of households (millions) in relative poverty paying full council tax 
			   Before housing costs  After housing costs 
			 1994-95 2.2 2.4 
			 1995-96 2.0 2.2 
			 1996-97 2.1 2.3 
			 1997-98 2.2 2.3 
			 1998-99 2.3 2.5 
			 1999-2000 2.5 2.6 
			 2000-01 2.6 2.8 
			 2001-02 2.7 2.8 
			 2002-03 2.7 2.9 
			 2003-04 2.7 2.8 
			 2004-05 2.6 2.8 
			 2005-06 2.7 3.0 
			  Notes:  1. Data are not available from this source for 1993-94.  2. The information shown is for Great Britain.  3. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' series, which uses disposable household income, equivalised for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living.  4. The figures are based on OECD equalisation factors.  5. The preferred measure of low income is by using a threshold of 60 per cent. of the contemporary median income. This is an internationally recognised measure.  6. Figures have been presented on both a before housing cost and after housing cost basis. For before housing cost, housing costs (such as rent, water rates, mortgage interest payments, structural insurance payments and ground rent and service charges) are not deducted from income, while for after housing cost they are. This means that after housing cost incomes will generally be lower than before housing cost.  7. Tables show numbers in millions rounded to the nearest 100 thousand.   Source:  Family Resources Survey, 1994/95 to 2005-06.

Social Security Benefits: Foreigners

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid in benefits to non-UK nationals in the last year for which figures are available.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available; no record is kept of claimants' nationalities.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were prosecuted for crimes relating to benefit fraud in the London Borough of Havering in each of the last four years.

James Plaskitt: Information regarding DWP administered benefits is not available below national and regional level.
	The available information regarding local authority administered benefits is in the table.
	
		
			  Prosecutions due to housing benefit and council tax benefit fraud in the London borough of Havering 
			   Number of cases accepted for prosecution  Number of successful prosecutions 
			 2003-04 13 10 
			 2004-05 14 15 
			 2005-06 18 10 
			 2006-07 23 20 
			  Source:  Estimates are based on Stats 124 administrative data returns

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were prosecuted for crimes relating to benefit fraud in the London Borough of Bexley in each of the last five years.

James Plaskitt: Information regarding DWP administered benefits is not available below national and regional level.
	The available information regarding local authority administered benefits is in the table.
	
		
			  Prosecutions due to housing benefit and council tax benefit  fraud in the London b orough of Bexley 
			   Number of cases accepted for prosecution  Number of successful prosecutions 
			 2003-04 24 22 
			 2004-05 31 19 
			 2005-06 23 15 
			 2006-07 31 26 
			  Source:  Estimates are based on Stats 124 administrative data returns

Social Security Benefits: Pensioners

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of pensioners eligible for means-tested support were overpaid as a result of errors in the application process in the most recent year for which figures are available.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available.

Unemployment

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling) of 7 January 2007,  Official Report, column 5, what proportion of children are living in workless households in  (a) the UK and  (b) each other EU member state.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 14 January 2008
	The latest UK Labour Force Survey data indicate that 15.9 per cent. of children live in workless households, a fall of 450,000 (or 2.9 percentage points) since 1997. This is greater than the rate of improvement seen in the EU15, where the proportion of children in workless households has fallen by 1.9 percentage points since 1997.
	There has been a similar above average improvement in the proportion of children in relative poverty since 1997 as the Secretary of State indicated in his answer of 7 January 2008,  Official Report, column 5.
	Detailed information on the current position by country of the proportions of children in workless households is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Proportion of children living in workless households in the UK and other EU states in 2007 
			   Percentage 
			 EU (27 countries) (1)9.4 
			 EU15 (1)9.3 
			 United Kingdom (ONS estimate) 15.9 
			 United Kingdom (Eurostat estimate) 16.7 
			 Hungary 14.0 
			 Belgium 13.5 
			 Bulgaria 12.9 
			 Ireland 11.2 
			 Slovakia 10.5 
			 France 9.8 
			 Croatia (2)9.8 
			 Poland 9.5 
			 Romania 9.4 
			 Germany 9.3 
			 Latvia 8.6 
			 Malta 8.4 
			 Czech Republic 7.9 
			 Estonia 7.3 
			 Lithuania 6.9 
			 Austria 6.1 
			 Netherlands 5.9 
			 Italy 5.8 
			 Denmark (2)5.0 
			 Spain 5.0 
			 Finland (2)4.9 
			 Portugal 4.8 
			 Luxembourg 4.0 
			 Greece 3.9 
			 Cyprus 3.7 
			 Slovenia 2.5 
			 (1) Estimate.  (2) Data refer to 2006.   Note:  Eurostat definition of children in workless households is children aged 0 to 17 who are living in households where no one is working. Definition used by ONS is percentage of children aged under 16 in a working-age household where no adult works.   Source:  EU Labour Force Survey and UK Office for National Statistics.

Unemployment: Essex

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many unemployed people under the age of 25 years there were in  (a) Romford,  (b) Essex and  (c) Greater London in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 28 January 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many unemployed people under the age of 25 years there were in (a) Romford (b) Essex and (c) Greater London in the most recent period for which figures are available. (181655)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of unemployment for local areas from Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
	Table 1, attached, shows estimates of the number of unemployed, aged 16-24, for Romford constituency, for Essex and for London for the 12 months ending June 2007, which is the latest date for which figures are available encompassing all 3 geographies specified.
	These estimates, as with any from sample surveys, are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	ONS also compiles statistics for local areas of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA). Table 2 shows the monthly figure for people aged 18 to 24 claiming JSA in Romford, Essex and London for June 2007. Note, people aged 16 and 17 are not eligible to claim JSA.
	
		
			  Table 1: Unemployed persons, aged 16 to 24, resident in Romford, Essex and London for the 12 months ending June 2007 
			  Thousand 
			   Level  Rate( 1)  (Percentage) 
			 Romford (2) (2) 
			 Essex 10 7 
			 London 104 12 
			 (1) Unemployed as a percentage of the economically active population. (2) Estimates not available since the group sampling size is zero or disclosive  Note: Estimates are subject to sampling variability.  Source: Annual Population Survey, ONS. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of claimants of jobseeker's allowance, aged 18 to 24, resident in Romford, Essex and London in June 2007 
			   Number  Proportion( 1)  (Percentage) 
			 Romford 275 (2) 
			 Essex 4,200 4 
			 London 37,085 5 
			 (1) Number of claimants expressed as a percentage of claimant count + work force jobs. (2) Estimates not available.  Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative system.

Unemployment: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many workless households there were in Peterborough constituency in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the number of workless households in the Peterborough Constituency. (181557)
	The attached table gives the number of workless working-age households in Peterborough Constituency for the three months ending in June of 1999 and 2001-2007. Comparable figures for 1997, 1998 and 2000 are not currently available. The figures in the table are estimates from the Labour Force Survey (LFS).
	A household is defined as a single person, or a group of people living at the same address who have the address as their only main residence and either share one main meal a day or share the living accommodation (or both). A workless working-age household is one that includes at least one person of working age and in -which no-one aged 16 or over is in employment.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Workless households( 1)  in Peterborough parliamentary constituency( 2 ) April-June 1999 to 2007, not seasonally adjusted 
			   Thousand 
			   Number of workless households 
			 1999 5 
			 2000 n/a 
			 2001 4 
			 2002 5 
			 2003 5 
			 2004 4 
			 2005 6 
			 2006 6 
			 2007 4 
			 n/a = comparable estimates for 2000 are not currently available. (1) A workless household is a household with at least one person of working age (male aged 16 to 64 and women aged 16 to 59), and in which no one aged 16 or over is in employment. (2) Figures have not been adjusted to include estimates for households with unknown economic activity.  Note: As with any sample survey, estimates from the Labour Force Survey are subject to a margin of uncertainty.  Source: ONS Labour Force Survey

Written Questions

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to answer question 162356, tabled by the hon. Member for Hertsmere on 6 November 2007, on the new deal.

Caroline Flint: I replied to the hon. Member's question on 11 December 2007,  Official Report , column 468W.

Written Questions

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to answer question 162678, tabled by the hon. Member for Hertsmere on 6 November 2007, on the new deal for young people.

Caroline Flint: I replied to the hon. Member's question on 17 December 2007,  Official Report , column 939W.

Written Questions

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to answer question 162677, tabled by the hon. Member for Hertsmere on 6 November, on the new deal 25 plus.

Caroline Flint: I replied to the hon. Member's question on 11 December 2007,  Official Report, column 466W.

Written Questions

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to answer question 162359, tabled by the hon. Member for Hertsmere on 6 November, on the new deal.

Caroline Flint: I replied to the hon. Member's question on 17 December 2007, Official Report, column 939W.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal Feed: Pesticides

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which public authority has lead responsibility for the monitoring of pesticide residues in animal feed and animal feed ingredients; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding 25 January answer 2008
	The Food Standards Agency has lead responsibility for the Feeding Stuffs (England) Regulations 2005, which set maximum permitted levels for chemical contaminants including certain pesticides in animal feed. Separate but parallel feeding stuff regulations are in place for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Great Britain, local authorities are responsible for the enforcement of this legislation and monitoring of feed to ensure compliance with the requirements of the regulations. In Northern Ireland enforcement and monitoring is the responsibility of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
	The Pesticides Safety Directorate has lead responsibility for The Pesticides (Maximum Residue Levels in Crops, Food and Feeding Stuffs) (England and Wales) Regulations 2005 which set maximum levels for pesticide residues in plants and animal products whether they may be used for human food or animal feed. Separate but parallel regulations are in place for Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Pesticides Safety Directorate is responsible for the UK's national pesticide monitoring plan, with the advice of the independent Pesticide Residues Committee.

Animals: Abuse

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people were  (a) charged,  (b) convicted,  (c) fined,  (d) banned from keeping animals,  (e) imprisoned and  (f) otherwise punished for offences to cruelty to animals in each year since 1997, broken down by type of animal involved.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 24 January 2008
	The individual circumstances of animal cruelty offences, including the type of animal involved, and data on charging, are not held centrally.

Animals: Abuse

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to reduce levels of cruelty to animals, broken down by type of animal.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 24 January 2008
	There are a number of measures in place that provide protection to animals generally and are not species specific. For example, last year the Government introduced the Animal Welfare Act 2006, under which it is an offence to cause an animal, under the control of man, any unnecessary suffering. The Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 makes it an offence to intentionally inflict unnecessary suffering on wild mammals. In addition, the Government are committed to improving the welfare of animals such as through the Animal Health and Welfare Strategy and the Animal Welfare Delivery Strategy.

Avian Influenza: Hazardous Substances

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what method of storage his Department requires for samples taken for testing for H5N1 virus.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 21 January 2008
	The samples for routine dead wild bird surveillance are collected according to standardised protocols, accredited to a United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) International Standards Organisation (ISO)17025 quality system. DEFRA employs the diagnostic expertise of the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA), Weybridge, which is the World Animal Health Organisation (OIE) and European Union (EU) Reference Laboratory for avian influenza (AI). Our sampling, collection, storage and transportation methods are entirely consistent with international and European Union standards. We continually revise and subject all aspects of our AI surveillance activities to peer review in light of new international evidence as it arises. Our testing regime conforms to the highest standards for protecting animal and public health.
	The delivery target for the following dead wild bird surveillance activities is five days. Eligible wild birds are collected from the field by a collection agency operator (generally from the Meat and Livestock Commission) in a biosecure manner, including double bagging of the bird to protect operator health and safety. The wild birds are then delivered to the nearest VLA regional laboratory, where they are refrigerated (+4 Celsius) pending sampling. Once samples are collected from the wild bird at the VLA regional laboratory they will also be stored at +4 Celsius. Samples are then packaged and despatched. Rapid courier delivery of specimens collected in this manner ensures high quality material is received at the VLA headquarters laboratory for testing. Testing of the samples at VLA Weybridge usually commences as soon as practically possible upon the day of receipt, with samples held at +4Celsius as required.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will take steps to introduce a badger cull in those areas in Devon most affected by Bovine TB.

Jonathan R Shaw: The question of whether badger culling has a role to play in controlling bovine tuberculosis (TB) in cattle is complex.
	We are currently considering this complex issue, taking into account all the available scientific evidence, including the final report of the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB (ISG) and the assessment of the scientific evidence made by the Government's former chief scientific adviser, Sir David King. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has already met with former members of the ISG including Professor John Bourne; and separately with Sir David King. We also wish to take into account the views from the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee following its inquiry into badgers and bovine TB.
	While we are keen to make progress on reaching a decision, there is no specific timetable for doing so.

BSE: Disease Control

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress his Department has made towards its public service agreement target of a reduction in the number of cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy detected by both passive and active surveillance to less than 60 in 2006, with the disease being eradicated by 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: There were 104 bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) cases in Great Britain (GB) in 2006. In 2007, the number of cases fell by 49 per cent. to 53.
	DEFRA is continuing to work towards its public service agreement target of eradicating BSE in GB by 2010. However, due to the long incubation period of BSE, achievement of this target will be determined by past events and will be affected by the EU's surveillance regime and the longevity of cattle born before August 1996, in which the prevalence of infection is highest. The Government are working with industry leaders to encourage producers to dispose of these cattle under the older cattle disposal scheme before it closes at the end of 2008.
	Future BSE cases born after the reinforced feed ban in August 1996 could also impact on our achievement of the 2010 target although epidemiological assessments have demonstrated a clear decline in the prevalence of BSE infection in successive birth cohorts born after July 1996.

Capita

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was paid by his Department to Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries in each financial year since 2000; which contracts were awarded by his Department to Capita Group plc in each year from 2000-01 to the most recent available date; what the cost was of each contract; what penalties for default were imposed in contract provisions; what the length was of each contract; whether the contract was advertised; how many companies applied for the contract; how many were short-listed; what criteria were used for choosing a company; what provision was made for renewal without re-tender in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA came into being in June 2001. From information held centrally, the core-Department's expenditure with Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries since financial year 2001-02 is tabled as follows:
	
		
			   
			  Vendor Name  2007-08( 1)  2006-07  2005-06  2004-05  2003-04  2002-03  2001-02 
			 Capita Business Services Ltd. 545,419.58 665,791.98 260,330.72 545,482.32 536,763.48 453,988.49 564,393.03 
			 Capita Communications 129,460.10 88,610.18  
			 Capita Health Solutions Ltd. 2,461.36 10,976.10 11,414.84 
			 Capita Resourcing Ltd. 647,629.62 1,147,946.59 785,684.49 44,106.84
			 Capita Symonds Ltd. 37,461.58 329,480.73 505,096.75 89,441.06   146,057.21 
			 Capita Pensions Administration Services 673,058.74   
			 Capita HR and Financial Resourcing14,747.63
			 Capita Property Consultancy Ltd. 85,078.85 94,335.64  
			 Capita DBS Ltd.  12,496.50 448,053.30 
			 (1) April to December. 
		
	
	The other information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Carbon Emissions: Standards

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will increase the target for reducing UK carbon emissions to 80 per cent.; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The Government will put this evidence to the independent, expert Committee on Climate Change and ask it to advise, as it begins to consider the first three five-year budgets on whether our own domestic target should be increased up to 80 per cent. The Committee is being established in shadow form so that, subject to parliamentary passage of the Bill, it would be able to provide this advice as soon as possible.

Departmental Accountancy

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what items of his Department's  (a) revenue and  (b) expenditure are uprated using (i) the consumer prices index, (ii) the retail prices index and (iii) other measures of inflation.

Jonathan R Shaw: Information on what items of the Department's revenue and expenditure are uprated using the consumer prices index, the retail prices index, and other measures of inflation could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	There is no presumption of uprating revenue and expenditure items as a matter of course. The Department considers the applicability or otherwise of uprating revenue and expenditure items in the context of inflation management dependent on, but not limited to: the prevailing market conditions; the nature and type of revenue and expenditure; the terms of enabling legislation; fees and charges guidance; the duration of the revenue and expenditure; the appropriate index and indices for the revenue and expenditure category; service performance and delivery and, scheme conditions. Contract clauses where agreed pertaining to inflation management are commercial in confidence.

Departmental Consultants

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consultancy contracts his Department issued in each year since 2005; what the  (a) value,  (b) purpose and  (c) contractor was in each case; and whether the consultant's report is publicly available in each case.

Jonathan R Shaw: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 22 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 78-99W.

Departmental Telephone Services

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by  (a) his Department and  (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information requested is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  DEFRA, Executive agency or non-departmental public body  Customer contact service  08XX Number 
			 DEFRA DEFRA Helpline 08459 33 55 77 
			
			 Animal Health National Scrapie Plan 0845 601 4858 
			  Welfare in Transit 0845 603 8395 
			  Pet Travel Scheme Helpline 0870 241 1710 
			
			 Government Decontamination Service  08458 501323 
			
			 Rural Payments Agency Rural Payments Agency Customer Service Centre 0845 603 7777 
			  British Cattle Movement Service  
			  English line 0845 050 1234 
			  Welsh line 0845 050 3456 
			 Agricultural Wages Board for England and Wales  0845 000 0134 
			
			 Consumer Council for Water  0845 039 2837 
			
			 Environment Agency National Customer Contact Centre 08708 506 506 
			  Incident Hotline 0800 80 70 60 
			  Hazardous Waste Registration 08708 502 858 
			  Agricultural Waste Registration 0845 603 3113 
			  Flood Line 0845 988 1188 
			
			 Gangmasters Licensing Authority  0845 602 5021 
			
			 Natural England  0845 600 3078

Departmental Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many miles  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department travelled by (i) car, (ii) rail and (iii) air on Government business in each year since 1997.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer given 24 January 2008
	DEFRA came into being in June 2001. The information requested for each year since 1997 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Since 1999, the Government have published a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over 500. Information for the last financial year was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the current financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the current financial year. From next year, the list will include details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial code.
	All central Government ministerial and official air travel has been offset from 1 April 2006. Departmental aviation emissions are calculated on an annual basis and subsequently offset through payments to a central fund. The fund purchases certified emissions reductions credits from energy efficiency and renewable energy projects with sustainable development benefits, located in developing countries. In addition, offsetting the flights of DEFRA, the FCO, the DfID and the Prime Minister has been backdated to 1 April 2005. DEFRA has offset rail and vehicle travel since 2006 and 2007 respectively.
	For the period April 2006 to December 2007 inclusive from information held centrally, the miles officials travelled by rail and air are:
	
		
			  Officials' miles 
			   Rail  Air 
			  2007   
			 October to December 821,091 1,369,877 
			 July to September 324,962 579,196 
			 April to June 153,808 156,506 
			 January to March 846,942 1,202,971 
			
			  2006   
			 October to December 2006 711,689 946,247 
			 July to September 2006 685,881 1,303,289 
			 April to June 2006 794,269 1,314,444 
		
	
	From information held centrally, the car mileage travelled by officials since financial year 2002-03 is:
	
		
			   Miles 
			 2006-07 19,717,612 
			 2005-06 22,618,001 
			 2004-05 20,726,000 
			 2003-04 20,381,000 
			 2002-03 20,510,000 
		
	
	These figures include 50,522 miles for ministerial cars in 2006-07 and taxi mileages of 137,005 and 47,000 in 2006-07 and 2005-06 respectively. Information on car mileage includes where known data for core-DEFRA, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aqua-cultural Science, the Government Decontamination Service, the State Veterinary Service, the Marine Fisheries Agency, the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, the Central Science Laboratory, the Rural Payments Agency and the Pentacles Safety Directorate. Year-on-year figures are not strictly comparable due to the machinery of government changes that have affected DEFRA since its creation in June 2001, and from changes to departmental financial systems.

Dogs

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consideration he has given to changing the breeds and types banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The types of dogs prohibited under section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act are constantly kept under review. However, there are no plans to make any changes to the types of dogs prohibited.

Eggs: Labelling

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the results have been of the investigations by his Department and others into the allegations of incorrect labelling of free-range eggs as announced in his news release of 15 November 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: Investigations into possible criminal activities are continuing.
	The news release of 15 November 2006 announced that DEFRA had become concerned about possible illegal practice in the egg industry. In the course of investigations information had come to light that eggs had been incorrectly labelled, including the labelling of non-free range eggs as free range. The Government called on the egg industry and retailers to ensure that the eggs they are selling are correctly labelled. The Egg Marketing Inspectorate are continuing to focus their activities in this area, to ensure that any eggs marketed in this country are correctly identified.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme: Aviation

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consideration has been given to the establishment of ring-fenced and self-contained arrangements for the aviation sector within the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

Phil Woolas: The Government support an open trading scheme, as was agreed at the December 2007 Environment Council. Under this agreement, aviation operators will be enabled to purchase EU allowances to cover emissions beyond the agreed cap, where they have not made sufficient reductions within their own sector. These additional emissions may also be covered by Kyoto project credits up to a limit of 15 per cent. of the total number of allowances surrendered by operators. The advantage of this approach is that it will enable aviation, as a sector with limited short term abatement options, to purchase allowances that have resulted from real emission reductions in other sectors to meet its obligations.

Flood Control: Finance

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the flood defence budget allocated to the North East region is for  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.

Phil Woolas: The North East region is taken to mean Yorkshire (covering Yorkshire and the north bank of the Humber estuary) and Northumbria Regional Flood Defence Committees (RFDC). Their indicative allocations are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Allocation ( million) 
			   Yorkshire RFDC  Northumbria RFDC 
			 2008-09 43.4 7.2 
			 2009-10 51 6.7 
			 2010-11 58.2 12.1 
		
	
	Allocations are from the Environment Agency to the Regional Flood Defence Committee.
	These figures do not include funding for local authorities or internal drainage boards.
	The Department will be seeking promotional activity on these figures to reassure the public.

Flood Control: Finance

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will bring forward measures to require water companies to fund severe flooding alleviation measures.

Phil Woolas: Ofwat included in water and sewerage companies' price limits around 1.2 billion investment (2006-07 prices) in measures to contain and reduce the risk of sewer flooding during the 2005-10 period. This will enable undertakers to reduce the risk or impact of sewer flooding, for known or emerging problems, where overloaded sewers cause repeated internal flooding and where the companies have proposed taking action by 2010.
	Ofwat expects sewerage companies to identify cost-beneficial investments in further measures to reduce flooding risks in their business plans for the next price review period (2010-15).
	As part of our contribution to Ofwat's 2009 periodic review of price limits, we have published a 'Statement of Obligations' describing the main statutory obligations that apply in particular to water and sewerage companies. The statement reminds the companies of their duty under section 94 of the Water Industry Act 1991, to ensure that their area is effectually drained.

Flood Controls

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action has been taken by  (a) the Inland Drainage Board and  (b) the Environment Agency to stop the backing up of (i) Saundby Beck, (ii) Wheatley Beck and (iii) Leverton Beck.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 25 January 2008
	 The Environment Agency identified that the pointing flood doors on the outfall of the Saundby Beck into the River Trent were leaking. Subject to weather conditions, River Trent levels and heights of the tides, the Environment Agency will replace the gates by the end of March 2008. The Environment Agency will also install a penstock behind the gates that can be closed in the future, in the event that they either fail to operate or leak.
	The Environment Agency has completed a detailed engineering inspection of the pointing flood doors on the outfall of the Wheatley Beck into the River Trent. The doors were found to be in a poorer condition than expected and of a non-standard design. The Environment Agency has replaced one of the doors with a fixed plate, to allow contractors to use it as a template. Subject to weather conditions, River Trent levels and heights of the tides, the Environment Agency will replace the gates before the end of March 2008.
	Leverton Beck is outside the remit of the Environment Agency as it is not classified as main river.

Flood Controls

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidelines on managing flood risk his Department has issued to  (a) local education authorities,  (b) local authority social services departments,  (c) the Highways Agency, ( d) Network Rail and  (e) utilities companies.

Phil Woolas: DEFRA and the Environment Agency produce flood risk information and general advice through a range of media. Since the Civil Contingencies Act (CCA 2004) was introduced, my Department has contributed to a significant amount of national guidance prepared by the Cabinet Office on managing risks, including flooding. This guidance is for the wider emergency planning community and is accessible on the UK resilience website and covers emergency planning, response and recovery aspects of flooding.
	All local authorities and their respective departments, the Highways Agency, Network Rail and utility companies should be referring to this guidance when fulfilling their emergency planning duties and responsibilities under the CCA.
	With regards to local education authorities, the Department for Children, Schools and Families has developed a series of web pages giving advice on how schools can cope with emergencies, one of which is on flooding.

Floods: Lancashire

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with the Environment Agency on the flood defence grant in aid budget for the next three financial years for  (a) Ribble Valley constituency and  (b) the Lancashire county council area; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much he has allocated to the Environment Agency via the flood defence grant in aid for the Lancashire area for each of the next three financial years for  (a) capital and  (b) revenue expenditure; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: I have regular discussions with the Environment Agency on a range of issues including national funding levels. However decisions on individual regional funding allocations are a matter for the agency.
	Flood and coastal erosion risk spending will rise from its current level of 600 million to 800 million in 2010-11. No final decisions have yet been made on how these record levels of investment will be allocated but a formal announcement will be made in due course.

Floods: Midlands

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with the Environment Agency on the flood defence grant in aid budget for the next three financial years for the Midlands area; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much he has allocated to the Environment Agency via the flood defence grant in aid for the Midlands area for each of the next three financial years, in  (a) capital and  (b) revenue; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: holding answer given 24 January 2008
	I have regular discussions with the Environment Agency on a range of issues including national funding levels. However, decisions on individual regional funding allocations are a matter for the agency.
	Flood and coastal erosion risk spending will rise from its current level of 600 million to 800 million in 2010-11. No final decisions have yet been made on how these record levels of investment will be allocated but a formal announcement will be made in due course.

Food: Glyphosate

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the maximum residue limit is for glyphosate in  (a) soya meal,  (b) whole soya beans,  (c) tofu,  (d) soya pieces and mince,  (e) soya oil,  (f) eggs,  (g) poultry meat,  (h) milk and dairy products,  (i) beef and  (j) pork; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 25 January 2008
	European Community maximum residue levels (MRLs) are set on primary produce rather than processed products. There are therefore no EC MRLs for  (a) soya meal,  (c) tofu,  (d) soya pieces and mince,  (e) soya oil. The EC MRLs for the primary produce are:
	
		
			   Mg/kg 
			   EC MRL 
			 Whole soya beans 20 
			 Eggs (1)0.01 
			 Poultry meat 0.05 
			 Milk and dairy products (1)0.01 
			 Beef 0.05 
			 Pork 0.05 
			 (1) The limit of determination (LOD) is the lowest concentration of a pesticide residue that can be measured using routine analysis.

Food: Glyphosate

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what soya products have been tested for glyphosate residues by the Pesticides Residues Committee since 1996; what the country of origin of each product was; what the date of each test was; and what level of any glyphosate was found to be present in each case.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 25 January 2008
	In 1999 the predecessor to the Pesticide Residues Committee (PRC), the Working Party on Pesticide Residues (WPPR) analysed 43 samples of soya products for 13 pesticide residues including glyphosate at a reporting level of 0.1 mg/kg. The products included were soya milk, soya mince, and tofu. Glyphosate was not found at or above the reporting level in any of the samples.
	In their quarter 2 report of 2006 published in December 2006 the Pesticide Residues Committee reported the results of their survey of 60 samples of soya milk. Glyphosate was sought but not found at or above the reporting level of 0.1 mg/kg in any of the samples.
	In their quarter 4 report of 2006 published in June 2007 the PRC reported the results for their survey of 60 samples of soya pieces and tofu. Glyphosate was sought but not found at or above the reporting level of 0.1 mg/kg in 49 out of the 60 samples. It was found at levels ranging from 0.1 to 1.1 mg/kg in 11 samples as outlined in the following table.
	The country of origin is taken from the food packaging. It may be the country where the soya was grown, or where the food was produced or where it was packed for sale.
	
		
			  Date of sample  Description  Country of origin  Retail outlet  Address  Brand name  Packer/manufacturer  Pesticide residues found in mg/kg (MRL 
			 13 November 2006 Meat free soya mince UK Asda Bruton Way, Gloucester, GL1 1LS Asda Asda Stores Ltd, Southbank, Great Wilson street, Leeds LS11 5AD Glyphosate0.2 (no MRL) 
			 
			 13 November 2006 Meat free soya mince UK Asda Bruton Way, Gloucester, GL1 1LS Asda Asda Stores Ltd, Southbank, Great Wilson street, Leeds LS11 5AD Glyphosate 0.1 (no MRL) 
			 
			 14 October 2006 Savoury mince Brazil Holland and Barrett Ernside Shopping Centre, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, BT74 6JQ Nature's Harvest Nature's Harvest, Burton-upon-Trent, DE14 2WP Glyphosate 0.9 (no MRL) 
			 
			 13 October 2006 Soya mince Brazil Holland and Barrett High street, Arbroath, DD11 1DZ Nature's Harvest Nature's Harvest Burton-upon-Trent, DE14 2WP Glyphosate 0.1 (no MRL) 
			 
			 30 October 2006 Unflavoured soya mince Brazil Holland and Barrett Mostyn street, Llandudno, LL30 3BD Nature's Harvest Nature's Harvest Burton-upon-Trent, DE14 2WP Glyphosate 0.1 (no MRL) 
			 
			 10 November 2006 Soya mince Brazil Holland and Barrett High street, Arbroath, DD11 1DZ Nature's Harvest Nature's Harvest, Burton-upon- Trent, DE14 2WP Glyphosate 1.1 (no MRL) 
			 
			 11 November 2006 Soya mince The Netherlands Holland and Barrett Long Causeway, Peterborough, PE1 1YJ Nature's Harvest Nature's Harvest, Burton-upon-Trent, DE14 2WP Glyphosate 0.1 (no MRL) 
			 
			 8 November 2006 Soya mince UK Sainsbury's Etherstone Avenue, Long Benton, NE7 7JW Sainsbury's Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd, 33 Holborn, London, EC1N 2HT Glyphosate 0.1 (no MRL) 
			 
			 12 November 2006 Soya mince Brazil Tesco Pasteur road, Great Yarmouth, NR31 ODW  Tesco Stores Ltd, Delamare road, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire ENS 9SL Glyphosate0.4 (No MRL) 
			 
			 20 November 2006 Soya mince Brazil Tesco Broad street, Teddington, TW11 8RF Tesco Tesco Stores Ltd, Delamare road, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire ENS 9SL Glyphosate 0.3 (no MRL) 
			 
			 31 October 2006 Bean feast mince UK Wm Morrison Newgate Park Centre, Bob Hardisty Drive, DL14 7TN Batchelves Campbell Grocery Ltd, PO Box 1086, Hardwick road, Kings Lynn, PC30 4FB Glyphosate 0.2 (no MRL)

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many  (a) households and  (b) rural households in England received Warm Front grants in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what the average value of a Warm Front grant to a rural household in England was in that period.

Phil Woolas: A total of 277,194 households in England received Warm Front grants for the period 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2007.
	Of these, 41,044 were classified as rural households under the criteria set out by the Office for National Statistics.
	The average value of a grant to those rural households was 1,332.44.

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of funding raised by the Energy Efficiency Commitment is ring-fenced for hard to heat rural houses; and what arrangements for such houses were planned under the carbon emissions reduction target obligation.

Phil Woolas: It is open to energy suppliers, who are responsible for the costs of meeting their targets under the Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC) and Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT), how they do so. Under CERT there will be an option for suppliers to focus a proportion of their activity on those who may occupy hard to treat homes. Suppliers may promote solid wall insulation to those on low incomes in the private sector and ground source heat pumps to those on low incomes in the private sector who are off the gas grid. Accordingly, EEC/CERT does not ring-fence money in the manner suggested. However, the Government have sought to encourage energy suppliers to target their activity at hard to treat homes. Any activity promoted in this sector will result in greater carbon savings being attributed to a measure than would otherwise be the case.

Housing: South West

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he will set up the Rural Housing Challenge Fund through the Housing Corporation to build public housing in rural areas of South West England; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department for Communities and Local Government is providing 8.4 billion over the three-year period 2008-11 for affordable housing. This underlines the Government's commitment to tackling difficulties faced by those unable to afford a home. Regional allocations reflect the advice of the regional assemblies (and the Mayor of London) on priorities for their areas.
	In the South West, a budget of 241 million has been allocated for 2008-09, an increase of 25 per cent. on the 2007-08 budget. This includes funding for local authority Decent Homes and private sector renewal in urban and rural areas. How much of this is spent on housing in rural communities is determined by the regional assembly, in consultation with local authorities, with ministerial agreement.
	As part of its preparations for the comprehensive spending review (CSR) during the summer of 2007, DEFRA asked the Housing Corporation to provide advice on the feasibility of a potential revenue funding programme to support improvements in local capacity and delivery of affordable housing across rural England. That advice will be carefully considered in decisions about departmental spending priorities over the CSR period. No decisions about the fund have yet been made. We are currently finalising the Department's overall funding package and an announcement will be made shortly.

Marine Management Organisation

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what role the Marine Management Organisation will have in delivering Government commitments on  (a) the ecosystem approach,  (b) sustainable development and  (c) the protection of biodiversity in the marine environment;
	(2)  if he will set out his objectives for the Marine Management Organisation in advance of the publication of the draft Marine Bill;
	(3)  if he will establish the Marine Management Organisation prior to the development of a marine policy statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) will be operating under the marine policy statement which will set out our commitment on a range of marine policies. The importance of the ecosystem approach and ensuring sustainable development will be an integral part of this policy statement.
	With regard to the protection of biodiversity in the marine environment, the MMO will be subject to the duty contained in section 40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, to have regard, so far as is consistent with the proper exercise of its functions, to the purpose of conserving biodiversity. In addition, we are proposing that the MMO be responsible for making byelaws to protect marine conservation zones from potentially damaging activities.
	The Marine Management Organisation will act as a champion for the integrated management of our seas, contributing to sustainable development by bringing together the delivery of many of the marine functions of the UK Government. The draft Marine Bill will reflect this, and objectives will be set in advance of the new organisation being formed, but we will not be setting out our objectives for the Marine Management Organisation in advance of the publication.
	The exact timing of the development of the policy statement will depend on the passage of the Marine Bill. However, we are aiming to put the statement in place as soon as possible so that we can provide a clear policy direction to the MMO.

Marine Management Organisation

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what powers will be included in the draft Marine Bill for the Marine Management Organisation to reject plans for offshore wind farms producing over 100MW on the grounds of a negative environmental impact.

Jonathan R Shaw: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Leominster (Bill Wiggin) on 8 January 2008,  Official Report, column 395W.

Noise

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to publish a national noise strategy.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Government plan to publish a combined national noise strategy for England, covering ambient and neighbourhood noise, later this year.

Pig Meat: Import Controls

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what controls are in place on the import of pork and pork products into the UK.

Jonathan R Shaw: All consignments of meat from other EU member states must have been produced in accordance with the harmonised Community rules laid down in European Community legislation. Among other things, this legislation sets out the licensing, structural and veterinary supervision requirements to be applied in production plants. The meat has to come from animals that have been subjected to anti- and post-mortem inspection to ensure they are healthy.
	Meat from third countries must have been produced to standards at least equivalent to those in the EU. Meat imported from outside the EU must:
	(i) come from approved third countries;
	(ii) be accompanied by appropriate animal and public health certification; and
	(iii) must come from EU approved plants in the exporting country.
	Meat imported from third countries must enter the EU at designated border inspection posts where veterinary checks are carried out to ensure that import conditions have been met.

Pigs

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many breeding pigs there were in England in each of the last 10 years.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 25 January 2008
	The total number of pigs in the breeding herd are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   (Thousand) 
			   Pigs in breeding herd 
			 1998 629.9 
			 1999 573.0 
			 2000 502.7 
			 2001 489.0 
			 2002 457.9 
			 2003 418.1 
			 2004 424.5 
			 2005 386.2 
			 2006 386.1 
			 2007 374.9 
			  Note: Pig breeding herd is sows and gilts in pig and suckled or dry sows for further breeding.  Source: June Agricultural Survey

Rural Payments Agency: Information Officers

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons the number of communication and press staff listed as working for the Rural Payments Agency in the Central Office of Information's White Book differs from the answer of 8 October 2007,  Official Report, column 280W, on the Rural Payments Agency.

Jonathan R Shaw: Hansard correctly reports that the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) employs one press officer who spends half their time on press activities.
	The RPA communications team, of which the press office forms part, is also responsible for a wide range of other communications functions. These include publications, advertising, internal communication and web management. All these staff are listed in the RPA's entry in the White Book.

Swine Fever: Disease Control

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether any updates have been made to the classical swine fever contingency plan since 2003.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 25 January 2008
	DEFRA's latest revised generic Contingency Plan for Exotic Animal Diseases, including classical swine fever, was laid before Parliament on 10 December 2007. The plan is amended annually (as required under the Animal Health Act 2002) and covers arrangements for dealing with a range of exotic animal diseases.

Waste Disposal: Domestic Wastes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  which local authorities have now ceased weekly collections of residual household rubbish according to records held by  (a) his Department and  (b) Waste and Resources Action Programme across the United Kingdom;
	(2)  which local authorities in the United Kingdom have alternate weekly collections of household rubbish according to records held by  (a) his Department and  (b) the Waste and Resources Action Programme; and on what date the alternate weekly collection was introduced in each case;
	(3)  which local authorities are undertaking pilot schemes in relation to introducing alternate weekly collections of household rubbish according to the Waste and Resources Action Programme records.

Joan Ruddock: The Waste and Resources Action Programme's (WRAP) most recent list of local authorities providing an alternate weekly collection (AWC) service is shown in the following list. Most local authorities have weekly collections, alternating collection servicesone week for recyclables, one week for residual wastebut a number of scheme types exist and this includes cases where recyclables are collected every week. This list represents WRAP's best understanding at present of local authorities operating or implementing such schemes.
	Any funding allocated to local authorities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is a devolved matter for the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland Executive.
	Neither DEFRA nor WRAP record the date on which individual local authorities change the frequency of waste collections.
	 Local authorities operating less than weekly residual waste collections( 1)
	Alnwick District Council
	Amber Valley
	Ashfleld District Council
	Aylesbury Vale District Council(2)
	Babergh District Council
	Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
	Bassetlaw District Council
	Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council
	Blackpool Borough Council
	Blyth Valley Borough Council
	Boston Borough Council
	Braintree District Council
	Breckland District Council
	Bridgnorth District Council
	Bristol City Council
	Broadland District Council
	Bromsgrove District Council
	Broxtowe Borough Council
	Burnley Borough Council
	Cambridge City Council
	Cannock Chase District Council
	Canterbury City Council
	Carlisle City Council
	Castle Morpeth Borough Council
	Charnwood Borough Council
	Cherwell District Council
	Chesterfield Borough Council
	Chichester District Council
	Chiltern District Council
	Chorley Borough Council
	Copeland Borough Council
	Corby Borough Council
	Crewe  Nantwich Borough Council
	Dacorum Borough Council
	Daventry District Council
	Derby City Council
	Derwentside District Council
	Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council
	East Hampshire District Council
	East Lindsey District Council
	Eastleigh Borough Council
	Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council
	Epping Borough Council
	Erewash Borough Council
	Exeter City Council
	Fenland District Council
	Forest Heath District Council
	Fylde Borough Council
	Gedling Borough Council
	Gosport Borough Council
	Great Yarmouth Borough Council
	Hambleton District Council
	Harborough District Council
	Hartlepool Borough Council
	Havant Borough Council
	Hertsmere Borough Council
	Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council
	High Peak Borough Council
	Huntingdonshire District Council
	Hyndburn Borough Council
	Ipswich Borough Council
	Kennet District Council
	Kettering Borough Council
	Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council
	Lancaster City Council
	Lichfield District Council
	Lincoln City Council
	London Borough of Harrow
	Macclesfield Borough Council
	Mansfield District Council
	Melton Borough Council
	Mendip District Council
	Mid Bedfordshire District Council
	Mid Devon District Council
	Mid Suffolk District Council
	Mid Sussex District Council
	Mole Valley District Council
	Newark and Sherwood District Council
	North Devon District Council
	North Hertfordshire District Council
	North Kesteven District Council
	North Lincolnshire Council
	North Norfolk District Council
	North Shropshire District Council
	North West Leicestershire District Council
	Northampton Borough Council
	Nottingham City Council
	Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council(2)
	Oswestry Borough Council
	Oxford City Council
	Pendle Borough Council
	Peterborough City Council
	Preston Borough Council
	Purbeck District Council
	Reading Borough Council
	Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council
	Redditch Borough Council
	Richmondshire District Council
	Rochdale MBC
	Rochford District Council
	Rossendale Borough Council
	Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
	Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames(2)
	Rushcliffe Borough Council
	Rushmoor Borough Council(2)
	Ryedale District Council
	Scarborough Borough Council
	Sefton MBC
	Shepway District Council
	Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council
	South Buckinghamshire District Council(2)
	South Cambridgeshire District Council
	South Derbyshire District Council
	South Gloucestershire Council
	South Hams District Council
	South Kesteven District Council
	South Lakeland District Council
	South Norfolk District Council
	South Northamptonshire Council
	South Ribble Borough Council
	South Shropshire District Council
	South Somerset District Council
	South Staffordshire District Council
	St. Edmundsbury Borough Council
	Staffordshire Moorlands District Council
	Suffolk Coastal District Council(2)
	Swale Borough Council
	Swindon Borough Council
	Tamworth Borough Council
	Taunton Deane Borough Council
	Teignbridge District Council
	Telford and Wrekin Borough Council
	Test Valley Borough Council
	Tonbridge and Mailing Borough Council
	Torbay Council
	Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
	Tynedale District Council
	Uttlesford District Council
	Vale Royal Borough Council
	Wansbeck District Council
	Waveney District Council
	Waverley Borough Council
	Wealden District Council
	Wellingborough Borough Council
	West Lancashire District Council
	West Wiltshire District Council
	Weymouth and Portland Borough Council
	Winchester City Council
	Wirral MBC
	Woking Borough Council
	Worcester City Council
	Wycombe District Council
	Wyre Borough Council
	Wyre Forest District Council
	York City Council
	(1) Not all schemes are borough wide.
	(2 )Trial

Waste Disposal: Domestic Wastes

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the destination was of garden waste collected from residents' homes by each waste collection authority in Hampshire in the latest period for which figures are available.

Joan Ruddock: All local authorities report the destination of their collected municipal waste to WasteDataFlow. The table shows the reported destinations of green waste or other compostable waste (both categories will include waste from gardens) sent for composting by Hampshire county council and its waste collection authorities during January to March 2007.
	The destination list in WasteDataFlow that authorities can report against is populated by the Environment Agency's lists of licensed sites. These are identified as the location (by postcode) along with the waste processor that owns the site. Some material will go to sites which are exempt from a waste management licence. These are identified as 'Other/exempt' in the list. In these cases, further details on the location of destination sites are not recorded.
	
		
			  Municipal green waste and other compostable waste by destination as reported by Hampshire county council and its waste collection authorities (January to March 2006-07) 
			  Authority  Destination  Tonnage sent  Material type 
			 Winchester City Council Onyx (Hampshire) LtdRG25 2NS 357 Green waste only 
			 Test Valley Borough Council Onyx (Hampshire) Ltd, SO20 6BU 377 Green waste only 
			 Rushmoor Borough Council Other/exempt 129 Green waste only 
			 New Forest District Council EcoComposting Limited, BH23 6BG 282 Green waste only 
			 Havant Borough Council Onyx (Hampshire) Ltd, PO16 8TR 23 Green waste only 
			 Hart District Council Onyx (Hampshire) LtdRG25 2NS 313 Green waste only 
			 Gosport Borough Council Onyx (Hampshire) Ltd, PO16 8TR 42 Green waste only 
			 Fareham Borough Council Other/exempt 1,155 Green waste only 
			 Eastleigh Borough Council Other/exempt 374 Green waste only 
			 Eastleigh Borough Council Other/exempt 24 Other compostable waste 
			 East Hampshire District Council Onyx (Hampshire) LtdRG25 2NS 290 Green waste only 
			 Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Onyx (Hampshire) LtdRG25 2NS 61 Green waste only 
			 Hampshire County Council Other/exempt 2,283 Green waste only 
			 Hampshire County Council Onyx (Hampshire) Ltd, PO16 8TR 1,855 Green waste only 
			 Hampshire County Council Onyx (Hampshire) Ltd, SO20 6BU 2,204 Green waste only 
			 Hampshire County Council Onyx (Hampshire) LtdRG25 2NS 2,346 Green waste only 
			  Source: WasteDataFlow (Question 19)

Wastes

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his estimate is of the percentage of waste generated in the UK by  (a) business and  (b) households in each of the last five years; and what his future projections are of these figures for the next five years.

Joan Ruddock: Waste management is a devolved matter, so the following data are for England only.
	The Environment Agency's 2002-03 commercial and industrial waste survey is the most comprehensive and up-to-date evidence on the sources, quantities and management of commercial and industrial waste in England. No comparable data are available for other years.
	The total commercial and industrial waste arisings in 2002-03 (including the hazardous waste stream) was estimated at 67.9 million tonnes, comprising 37.6 million tonnes from industrial sources (14 per cent. of total waste arisings) and 30.3 million tonnes from commercial sources (11 per cent. of total waste arisings).
	Household waste arisings made up a total of 10 per cent. of the total waste arisings in 2002-03. Since total waste arisings in other years is not known, percentage figures for these years cannot be provided.
	Forecasts of future waste arisings, in both the household and business sectors in England, are set out in Annex A (Appendix 1) of the Waste Strategy for England 2007, copies of which are available from the Library of the House. Figures take account of a variety of scenarios using a range of assumptions to reflect possible demographic, economic and lifestyle changes that will influence waste arisingsquite apart from the influence of specific policies.

Water: Fees and Charges

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average water bill in  (a) England and Wales and  (b) each water company area was for a household with (i) a single person, (ii) a family of three on a meter and (iii) a family of five on a meter in the latest period for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: Ofwat is the economic regulator of the water and sewerage industry in England and Wales and sets price limits for each water company at price reviews.
	Figures are available on the Ofwat website at:
	www.ofwat.gov.uk/aptrix/ofwat/publish.nsf/AttachmentsByTitle/water_sewerage_bills07-08.pdf/$FILE/water_sewerage_bills07-08.pdf

HOME DEPARTMENT

Animal Experiments

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many laboratories  (a) were licensed and  (b) lost their licence to perform tests on animals in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Meg Hillier: The information requested is set out in the following table.
	Certificates of designation may be revoked for a variety of reasons, such as the closure of the establishment, and revocation is usually at the request of the certificate holder. Issues of non-compliance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, or their conditions of issue, were identified at two establishments prior to the return of their certificates for revocation since 2003.
	
		
			  Scientific procedures establishments designated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 
			   Certificates of designation in force at 31 December  New certificates of designation issued during the year  Certificates of designation revoked during the year 
			 2003 228 7 10 
			 2004 223 2 4 
			 2005 215 3 10 
			 2006 212 2 6 
			 2007 199 2 15

Animal Experiments

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures her Department employs to ensure that licences to conduct scientific experiments on animals are only granted in circumstances where no viable alternative exists; and what steps it takes to ensure that licences are not granted unnecessarily to different scientists simultaneously.

Meg Hillier: Under section 5(5) of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, a project licence cannot be granted if the purpose of the programme could be achieved satisfactorily by the use of a reasonably practicable non-animal method. Applicants for project licences are, therefore, required to explain why animals have to be used and a key element of the assessment of licence applications by Home Office inspectors focuses on ensuring that the use of animals is essential. In considering this issue, inspectors have access to a wide range of expertise and sources of relevant information and fully explore potential alternative methods in discussion with applicants.
	The avoidance of unnecessary duplication of animal use is another key consideration in the assessment of applications and all reasonable steps are taken to prevent it. However, the replication of experiments by more than one research group is not necessarily prohibited. The scientific method demands that research findings can be corroborated by the same or different research groups to establish the validity of the results.

Asylum

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many questionnaires for asylum seekers under the Legacy Casework Programme have been  (a) issued,  (b) completed and returned and  (c) returned incomplete since the programme began; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: There have been nearly 9,600 questionnaires issued since May 2007 and around 8,400 of these have been completed.
	The questionnaire is only for applicants whose cases are among the older, unresolved ones that are not being considered by our teams in regional offices around the country.
	Not all applicants will receive a questionnaire. Applicants will only be sent a questionnaire if we think we need more up-to-date information on the applicant's case before we review it. If the application is a straightforward one, or the applicant has recently been in touch with us, we will not need to send a questionnaire.
	In her recent update to the Home Affairs Committee on 17 December 2007, Lin Homer (chief executive of the Border and Immigration Agency) gave an undertaking to provide further updates to the Committee every six months.

Asylum

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what projections she has made of the likely percentage of asylum seekers who will be recognised as refugees and granted asylum as an initial decision in  (a) 2007,  (b) 2008 and  (c) 2009.

Liam Byrne: Projections of the likely percentage of asylum seekers who will be recognised as refugees and granted asylum at initial decision in  (a) 2007,  (b) 2008 and  (c) 2009 are not available. Every asylum application is considered on its individual merits.

Crime: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) violence against the person,  (b) criminal damage and  (c) drug related offences have been recorded in London since 2001.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Selected offences recorded by the police in London( 1) 
			   Violence against the person  Criminal damage  Drug offences 
			 2001-02 161,944 148,168 (2)26,673 
			 2002-03 179,710 144,739 34,101 
			 2003-04 187,036 147,784 33,076 
			 2004-05 202,914 135,995 33,887 
			 2005-06 198,204 122,684 43,704 
			 2006-07 183,321 114,248 54,749 
			 (1) Includes offences recorded by the City of London police and the Metropolitan Police Service.  (2) The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced in April 2002. Figures before and after that date are not directly comparable.

Criminal Records Bureau

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what  (a) basic,  (b) standard and  (c) enhanced disclosure charges the Criminal Records Bureau has levied against each (i) local authority, (ii) local education authority, (iii) local health board and primary care trust and (iv) NHS trust in England and Wales in each year for which figures are available.

Meg Hillier: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) does not collate this information in the format requested.

Departmental Land

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what land surplus to her Department's requirements it is  (a) selling,  (b) leasing and  (c) intending to (i) sell and (ii) lease; and what the size and name of each relevant site is.

Liam Byrne: The Department is not currently selling or leasing land. It has however declared the former RAF Coltishall (260 hectares) surplus to its requirements and will shortly transfer it to the Ministry of Justice. Sale of a very minor part of the former airfield has been agreed with an adjoining owner.

Departmental Telephone Service

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by  (a) her Department and  (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number  Purpose  Type 
			 0870 521 0410 Passport advice line Phone 
			 0870 240 8090 Passport advice line (Text Phone Service) Minicom 
			 0870 243 4477 Passport inquiries for High Street Partners Phone 
			 0870 243 1902 Passport Complaints Phone 
			 0870 909 0778 Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure dispute line Phone 
			 0870 125 1256 Siemens Business Services Query Letters Phone 
			 0870 909 0844 Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure application line Phone 
			 0870 909 0223 Criminal Records Bureau Welsh Language Line Phone 
			 0870 909 0344 Criminal Records Bureau Minicom 
			 0870 241 4680 Home Office's mailing house, Prolog Phone 
			 0870 241 4786 Home Office's mailing house, Prolog Fax 
			 0870 220 2000 TOGETHER (advice line for practitioners on tackling antisocial behaviour). Phone 
			 0870 336 9031 Contact Private Office to Jacqui Smith Fax 
			 0870 336 9032 Contact Private Office to Lord West Fax 
			 0870 336 9033 Contact Private Office to Vernon Coaker Fax 
			 0870 336 9034 Contact Private Office to Liam Byrne Fax 
			 0870 336 9035 Contact Private Office to Tony McNulty Fax 
			 0870 336 9036 Contact Private Office to Meg Hillier Fax 
			 0870 336 9048 Contact Parliamentary Team Fax 
			 0870 336 9045 Contact Ministers' Special Advisers Fax 
			 0870 336 9041 Contact Private Office Management Support Unit Fax 
			 0870 336 9037 Contact Permanent Secretary's Office Fax 
			 0870 243 0100 Security Industry Authority Phone 
			 0845 010 6677 Employers1 Helpline Phone 
			 0845 039 8002 PROSPECTS helpline Phone 
			 0845 601 2298 BIA Evidence and Enquiry line Phone 
			 0870 240 3781 Immigration Enquiry Bureau (enforcement and removals -recorded message only) Phone 
			 0845 300 2002 Independent Police Complaints Commission Phone 
			 0870 909 0811 Criminal Records Bureau General Inquiries Phone 
			 0870 909 0822 Criminal Records Bureau Registration Information Line Phone 
			 0845 602 1739 Enquiries about asylum support applications Phone 
			 0870 606 7766 Immigration Enquiry Bureau Phone 
			 0870 241 0645 Requests for immigration application forms Phone 
			 0845 010 5200 Nationality telephone enquiries Phone 
			 0870 521 0224 BIA Work Permits Literature Order Line Phone 
			 0845 600 0914 Asylum Support Customer Contact Centre Phone 
			 0870 241 6523 Enquiries about the work of the BIA Complaints Unit and advice to callers about how to complain Phone

Departmental Telephone Service

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which telephone contact centres are the responsibility of her Department; what mechanisms are in place to monitor their effectiveness; and how many people have been employed in each of those centres in each year since they were established.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Contact centre  Purpose  Monitoring/mechanisms  Number of staff 
			 Ashby-de-la-Zouch (Leicestershire) IPSCall arrangements are for customer inquiries and appointment bookingsalso e-mail inquiries such as progress chasers, customer complaints and requests for passport application packs. Services provided by Teleperformance. Performance is monitored against contractual KPI and SLAs. Meetings take place with the supplier monthly to ensure continuous service improvement. This is seasonal and varies on a month to month basis. In October 2007 full-time equivalent staff employed on the IPS account was 234. 
			 Bangor (Northern Ireland) IPSAs above. As above. Varies on a month to month basis. Total number of staff is included in the figure above. 
			 Bristol IPSAs above. As above. Varies on a month to month basis. Total number of staff is included in the figure above. 
			 Immigration Inquiry Bureau (IEB) BIADeals with inquiries from the public relating to general immigration issues, requests for progress on individual cases and requests for immigration application forms. Performance is measured on calls answered against demand on a daily basis and reports its management information weekly to senior managers. This in turn is included in regular information on performance given to managers. IEB employs a total of 180 staff, including part-time members. 
			 Sheffield Contact Centre BIADeals with inquiries on all work permit schemes and programmes and provides advice to employers on recruiting non UK nationals. 1 per cent. of all calls are monitored for quality purposes. 55 staff 
			 Liverpool Contact Centre BIADeals with general inquiries about citizenship and right of abode, requests for progress on individual cases and requests for application forms. All call centres are measured on the number of calls answered against demand on a daily, weekly, monthly basis and on the quality of service provided. 1 per cent. of all calls are monitored for quality purposes. 60 staff 
			 Evidence and Inquiry Unit BIADeals with a range of inquiries from other Crown agencies. There is a facility to record all calls and also reports weekly and monthly on a number of quality fronts including one to one sessions with staff and dealing with complaints if received. As of 20 November there were a total of 55 staff. 
			 MPs Hotline BIADeals with MP's, House of Lords, European Parliament and members of the Scottish Parliament and devolved assemblies. Deals with a range of inquiries. Performance is measured on calls answered against demand on a daily basis and reports its management info weekly to senior managers. MPs and their constituency offices provide regular feedback on the service provided by the Hotline. As of 19 November the MPs Hotline employs 15 staff. 
			 CRB Contact Centre Deals with the receipt of telephone calls from applicants, organisations, registered bodies (through whom applicants submit their applications) and other third parties. Service provided by Capita Business Services. This is monitored through contractual service levels. These service levels are reported against on a monthly and quarterly basis. Year 2003: 81 
			Year 2004: 87 
			Year 2005: 92 
			Year 2006: 99 
			Year 2007: 79 
			 Adelphi Service Centre Deals with invoice payments, expense payments, Adelphi password resets and general assistance. This is monitored through contractual service levels key performance indicators. These service levels are reported against on a monthly basis. 16 staff 
			 Home Office public switchboard The Home Office public switchboard deals with non-specific callers (i.e. those who do not have a name/extension number). They either deal with the query or request for a publication direct; put the caller through to whichever part of the office can deal with their query; or, if they have called the HO in error, advise them which Department/agency they should contact. Performance data are maintained on an ongoing basis. Calls are monitored using a computer system which is linked to a wall board showing real time performance throughout the day (number of calls received, number of calls answered, calls in queue, agents logged on, agents on call and agents ready to take calls). The information stored on this system indicates performance in terms of how many calls are answered and how quickly they are answered over a specific time period. 3 to 4 full-time staff. This can be extended to additional staff at times of peak load.

Deportation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign national prisoners have been deported to  (a) Jamaica,  (b) Nigeria,  (c) Vietnam and  (d) China in each of the last five years.

Liam Byrne: On 14 June the chief executive of the Border and Immigration Agency wrote to the Home Affairs Committee to provide the most recent provisional information available on the deportation of foreign national prisoners. In this letter the chief executive reported that 2,784 foreign national prisoners were deported or removed in the financial year 2006-07.
	Statistics on the deportation of foreign nationals were last published in 2002. Copies of this are available in the Library of the House.
	Published information on persons removed as a result of deportation action has not been available from 2003 onwards due to data quality issues. The Border and Immigration Agency is putting in place new systems to improve its data collection systems for the future in this area.

Entry Clearances

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals resident in the United Kingdom the Government expect to be required to hold a biometric immigration document by  (a) January 2009,  (b) January 2010 and  (c) January 2011.

Liam Byrne: The UK Borders Act 2007 confirms the introduction of ID cards for foreign nationals from 2008. The programme will first pressure test the technology, before cards are issued later this year.
	We will publish our roll out strategy shortly and this will be based on improved efficiency and will tackle high risk groups first. We will publish details of these groups in the roll out strategy.

Entry Clearances: Doctors

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many doctors were awarded highly skilled migrant status  (a) in the 12 months before 5 February 2007 and  (b) since that date.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is as follows and relates to those who declared their occupation as doctor when applying.
	
		
			   Number 
			 6 February 2006 to 5 February 2007 6,875 
			 6 February 2007 to 31 December 2007 2,095 
			 Total 8,970 
			  Note: Figures are rounded to nearest 5. 
		
	
	The figures quoted are not provided under National Statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.

Entry Clearances: Skilled Workers

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many highly skilled migrant visas have been issued since April 2006, broken down by  (a) country of origin and  (b) skill.

Liam Byrne: The following table sets out the number of highly skilled migrant programme applications by country of origin. We are unable to answer part  (b) of the question, as this information is not asked on the application form.
	The figures quoted are not provided under National Statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.
	
		
			  HSMP applications granted between 1 April 2006 and 31 December 2007 
			  Country of origin  Total 
			 Afghanistan 5 
			 Albania 10 
			 Algeria 15 
			 American Samoa (1) 
			 Antigua and Barbuda (1) 
			 Argentina 25 
			 Armenia 25 
			 Australia 5,050 
			 Azerbaijan 65 
			 Bahamas 5 
			 Bahrain 5 
			 Bangladesh 520 
			 Barbados 40 
			 Belarus 30 
			 Belize (1) 
			 Benin (1) 
			 Bolivia 5 
			 Bosnia-Herzegovina 5 
			 Botswana 10 
			 Brazil 155 
			 Brit Nat Overseas 35 
			 Brunei 5 
			 Bulgaria 40 
			 Burkina Faso (1) 
			 Cameroon 55 
			 Canada 530 
			 Chile 10 
			 China 1,250 
			 Colombia 95 
			 Congo (1) 
			 Congo (Democratic Rep of ) (1) 
			 Croatia 30 
			 Dominica 5 
			 Dominican Republic 5 
			 Ecuador 5 
			 Egypt 300 
			 El Salvador 5 
			 Eritrea 5 
			 Ethiopia 30 
			 Fiji 5 
			 Gabon (1) 
			 Gambia 15 
			 Georgia 15 
			 Ghana 225 
			 Grenada 5 
			 Guatemala (1) 
			 Guyana 10 
			 Haiti (1) 
			 Honduras (1) 
			 Hong Kong (British) 15 
			 Hong Kong (Chinese) 10 
			 Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China (1) 
			 India 18,285 
			 Indonesia 45 
			 Iran 220 
			 Iraq 55 
			 Israel 130 
			 Jamaica 655 
			 Japan 90 
			 Jordan 105 
			 Kazakhstan 30 
			 Kenya 235 
			 Korea North (Democratic Peoples Rep of) 5 
			 Korea South (Rep of Korea) 85 
			 Kuwait 5 
			 Kyrgyzstan 15 
			 Lebanon 55 
			 Libya 85 
			 Macedonia 5 
			 Malawi 20 
			 Malaysia 785 
			 Maldives 5 
			 Mali t 
			 Mauritania 20 
			 Mauritius 115 
			 Mexico 65 
			 Moldova (Rep of) 25 
			 Mongolia 5 
			 Montenegro (1) 
			 Morocco 10 
			 Mozambique 5 
			 Myanmar 135 
			 Namibia 10 
			 Nepal 310 
			 New Caledonia (1) 
			 New Zealand 2,530 
			 Nicaragua (1) 
			 Niger 5 
			 Nigeria 3,555 
			 Northern Cyprus (1) 
			 Oman 5 
			 Pakistan 4,220 
			 Palestine 30 
			 Papua New Guinea (1) 
			 Peru 25 
			 Philippines 60 
			 Romania 40 
			 Russian Federation 610 
			 Rwanda (1) 
			 Saudi Arabia 15 
			 Senegal 5 
			 Serbia 30 
			 Seychelles (1) 
			 Sierra Leone 20 
			 Singapore 190 
			 Slovakia (1) 
			 South Africa 2,175 
			 Sri Lanka 1,070 
			 St. Lucia 5 
			 St. Vincent and The Grenadines 5 
			 Sudan 70 
			 Swaziland 5 
			 Syria (Arab Rep) 105 
			 Taiwan Province of China 65 
			 Tajikistan (1) 
			 Tanzania (United Rep of) 25 
			 Thailand 25 
			 Tonga (1) 
			 Trinidad and Tobago 175 
			 Tunisia 10 
			 Turkey 255 
			 Turkmenistan 5 
			 Uganda 85 
			 Ukraine 220 
			 United States of America 1,495 
			 Unknown 55 
			 Uruguay 5 
			 Uzbekistan 30 
			 Venezuela 30 
			 Vietnam 10 
			 Yemen 5 
			 Yugoslavia 10 
			 Zambia 50 
			 Zimbabwe 240 
			 Total 47,290 
			 (1) indicates 1 or 2  Notes:  Figures are rounded to nearest 5. Because of rounding, figures may not add up to totals shown The figures quoted are not provided under National Statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.

Illegal Immigrants

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases enforcement action to remove was successfully carried out in respect of non-UK citizens who were  (a) illegal entrants and  (b) overstayers in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: Published information on persons removed as a result of enforcement action is broken down by the type of enforcement action initiated. Enforcement action is broken down into three main categories: illegal entry action, administrative removal action and deportations.
	Section 33(1) of the 1971 Act, as amended by the 1996 Act, defines an illegal entrant as a person:
	(a) unlawfully entering or seeking to enter in breach of a deportation order or of the immigration laws, or
	(b) entering or seeking to enter by means which include deception by another person, and includes a person who has so entered.
	An overstayer is a person who stays beyond the time limited/specified/given by his/her leave and is liable to administrative removal under section 10. Prior to 2000, such persons were liable to deportation as distinct from administrative removal.
	The breakdown has not been available since 2003, but for information prior to 2004, it has been published in the Command Paper Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom.
	Copies of this publication and others relating to immigration to the UK are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html

Immigration

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her Department's average response time to representations from hon. and right hon. Members on immigration cases has been in each month since January 2006.

Liam Byrne: In 2006 letters from hon. Members were answered within an average of 23.56 working days.
	In 2007 (January to May) letters from hon. and right hon. Members were answered within an average of 16.83 working days. Figures for the average number of days to respond to a letter from June 2007 are not currently available.

Immigration: Work Permits

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for work permits were  (a) initially refused and  (b) subsequently granted on appeal as a percentage of total appeals in each of the last five years.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Work permit individual and group applications refused  and  successful on review between 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2007 
			   Refused  Total appeals on review  Successful on review  Successful (Percentage) 
			 2003 19,750 8,650 2,955 34 
			 2004 28,755 5,360 565 11 
			 2005 20,855 6,615 820 12 
			 2006 17,595 5,590 760 14 
			 2007 22,970 7,920 665 8 
			 Total 109,925 34,135 5,765 17 
			  Notes 1. Figures are rounded to nearest five. 2. Because of rounding, figures may not add up to totals shown. 
		
	
	The figures quoted are not provided under National Statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.

Offenders: Deportation

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what  (a) existing and  (b) planned measures will be used to implement the Prime Minister's undertaking to deport newcomers to the UK who are caught (i) selling drugs or (ii) using guns; whether this policy will apply to all foreign nationals convicted of drugs and firearms offences; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The Government are committed to pursuing the deportation of foreign nationals convicted of using firearms and selling drugs.
	Deportation Orders in such cases are already made under powers in Section 3(5) of the Immigration Act 1971. The automatic deportation provisions of the UK Borders Act 2007 will bring greater certainty and clarify to the deportation process. Foreign nationals imprisoned for serious crimes will know, from the point of sentence, that they will be deported save where one of a narrow list of exceptions applies.

Prisoners: Deportation

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign national prisoners serving sentences have been notified that they are not at risk of deportation; and of those how many remain at risk of removal.

Liam Byrne: The information requested can be obtained only through the detailed examination of individual casefiles at disproportionate cost.
	In a statement to the House on 19 July 2006 I explained that there would be a presumption for deportation for those foreign nationals that meet the criteria. The automatic deportation provisions contained in the UK Borders Act 2007 have further strengthened the link between criminality and deportation. Foreign nationals not liable to deportation are considered for enforcement action on a case by case basis.

Regional Development Agencies: Finance

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has allocated any resources to be spent via the regional development agencies' single pot in 2007-08.

Liam Byrne: No resources have been allocated in 2007-08.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Coal Authority

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will publish the guidance given to the Coal Authority on the  (a) licensing and  (b) commercial exploitation of its data.

Malcolm Wicks: The Coal Authority's use of its data is governed by its duties and responsibilities under the Coal Industry Act 1994 and other relevant statutes and regulations.

Energy: Rural Areas

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with Ministers at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the energy needs of rural households;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to assist rural communities without access to the mains gas network;
	(3)  what steps he is taking to assist rural households living in fuel poverty that are not connected to the mains gas network;
	(4)  what steps his Department is taking to assist households not connected to the mains gas network which have high energy bills.

Malcolm Wicks: BERR's Design and Demonstration Unit has developed a model under which deprived communities without access to mains gas and that meet certain criteria can be connected to the network, using existing funding. A number of communities have been connected using the model. In partnership with the regional development agencies in north-east England and Yorkshire and Humberside, we are co-funding demonstration projects delivered by Community Energy Solutions, a community interest company that will provide cost-effective energy to 40 communities. These projects will use mains gas and renewable technologies as appropriate, will benefit both urban and rural communities and are designed to be replicable elsewhere. Under the new gas distribution price control, Ofgem, with our support, has incentivised the gas distribution network companies to provide mains gas connections to deprived communities. We expect this to result in many thousands of customers gaining access to mains gas during 2008 to 2013.
	Ministers from DEFRA and BERR have regular discussions on a range of energy issues, including the needs of rural households.

Nuclear Power Stations: Coastal Areas

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2008,  Official Report, column 975W, on nuclear power stations: coastal areas, if he will place in the Library copies of the research report on flood threat to nuclear plants; and what the web addresses are of each document.

Malcolm Wicks: The report Flooding hazard from extreme sea levels was commissioned by Nuclear Electric plc and any request for the report should be addressed to that company's successors, British Energy plc and Magnox Electric plc. I am not aware that there is a web address for the document.

Overseas Loans: Developing Countries

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his Department's record management practice is on keeping information relating to contracts for loans made to developing countries, with particular reference to the  (a) length of time for which information is retained and  (b) the information which is retained.

Malcolm Wicks: ECGD's current policy is to retain all documentary information in its possession in relation to transactions which it has supported, for a period of up to seven years after the final repayment date of the loan or contract has been received. Where there has been a payment default and ECGD has paid a claim, the information would be held for up to seven years after the date on which ECGD either makes its final recovery in respect of the claim which it has paid or decides to abandon recovery action.

Post Offices

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform by what means his Department defines  (a) rural,  (b) deprived urban and  (c) remote communities in the minimum access criteria for the Post Office Network Change Programme.

Patrick McFadden: The Government's response to the national public consultation on the post office network in May 2007 set out the definitions supporting the minimum access criteria for the post office network. The definition of a rural area is a settlement of less than 10,000 inhabitants. Deprived urban areas are defined as the most deprived 15 per cent. of super output areas in England, 15 per cent. of data zones in Scotland, and 30 per cent. of super output areas in Wales and Northern Ireland to take account of the proportional spread of disadvantaged areas across the UK.
	There is no departmental definition of a remote area as no access criteria relates solely to 'remote' areas. Alongside the Government's national access criteria, is the criterion that 95 per cent. of the population in every postcode district should be within six miles of a post office service. Implicit in this criterion is a safeguard for people in remote areas who might otherwise not have been assured of reasonable accessibility to services under nationally-applied criteria alone.

Post Offices: Closures

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his most recent estimate is of the number of post offices to be closed  (a) nationally and  (b) in Leicestershire in 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The Government's response in May 2007 to the national public consultation on the post office network committed funding support for strategic changes to the network with up to 2,500 compensated closures nationally. Closures under the network change programme began this month and the programme is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. I understand that final decisions on the closure proposals in the Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland area plan are scheduled to be announced by Post Office Ltd. on 1 February.

Post Offices: Closures

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for North Wiltshire (Mr. Gray) of 17 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 1067-68, on post office closures, 
	(1)  if he will give details of the background costs taken into account when deciding whether a post office is profitable;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the savings to Post Office Ltd. arising from the closure of 2,500 post offices in the first three years after the closures have taken place.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Post Offices: Closures

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate his Department has made of the effect on Royal Mail's revenue of the Post Office's planned programme of branch closures.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 25 January 2008
	This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, managing director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Post Offices: Rural Areas

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the environmental impact of the change in the frequency of personal travel and car usage in rural areas resulting from the closure of rural post offices.

Malcolm Wicks: No such assessment has been made by my Department. But, in developing its proposals for post office closures and new outreach service points, Post Office Ltd. takes into account the Government's access criteria and wider factors relating to accessibility of post office services, including availability of public transport.

Post Offices: Urban Areas

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what minimum number of urban Post Office branches would be required to ensure 95 per cent. of the total urban population lived within one mile of a Post Office branch.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 25 January 2008
	This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Power Failures: Shropshire

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will hold discussions with energy suppliers on reducing the number of power outages in Shropshire.

Malcolm Wicks: An official from my Department will contact the network operators serving Shropshire and I will confirm his findings in correspondence.

Radioactive Wastes: Transport

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on how many occasions radioactive waste material was moved from each nuclear site by  (a) rail and  (b) other means in each of the last five years.

Malcolm Wicks: The following figures record the notifications of intended movements of spent nuclear fuel, submitted in accordance with the requirements of the Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003, since the regulations entered into force on 22 September 2003. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has responsibility for defence nuclear sites.
	
		
			   September 2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  January 2007-08 
			  Irradiated fuel by road  
			 Hinkley Point 90 138 55 37 16 
			 Dungeness 63 137 100 122 71 
			 Wylfa 87 155 151 145 76 
			 Oldbury 52 79 20 46 33 
			 Bradwell 48 85 83 40 0 
			 Sizewell 52 88 62 66 41 
			 Chapelcross 23 1 117 0 0 
			 Hunterston 25 41 44 34 3 
			 Torness 21 27 32 29 24 
			 Heysham 48 49 64 87 56 
			 Hartlepool 15 32 33 25 17 
			 Winfrith 47 38 0 0 0 
			   
			  Irradiated fuel by rail( 1)  
			  405 852 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Hunterston   45 41 4 
			 Torness   42 39 32 
			 Heysham   59 52 38 
			 Hartlepool   36 28 22 
			 Hinkley Point   52 39 21 
			 Dungeness   68 85 50 
			 Wylfa   135 131 52 
			 Oldbury   14 42 33 
			 Bradwell   57 33 0 
			 Sizewell   37 67 32 
			   
			  Waste (not irradiated fuel)  
			 Drigg (to Sellafield)   210 249 172 
			 (1) Since 2005-06, rail movement data have been allocated against specific sites

Radioactive Wastes: Waste Disposal

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will place in the Library the results of the work of Dr. Tim Stone on nuclear new build decommissioning and long-term waste management cost allocation.

Malcolm Wicks: Dr. Stone was appointed in January 2007 to act as advisor to the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the Chief Secretary of the Treasury on financing the costs of decommissioning, waste management and disposal for new nuclear power stations.
	Dr. Stone's work has informed the clauses on nuclear waste management and decommissioning in the Energy Bill which was introduced into Parliament on 10 January 2008. Draft guidance, to underpin the Bill clauses, will be published for consultation in February/March of this year.

Regional Government: Brussels

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 1343-44W, on regional government: Brussels, how many staff are employed in each office.

Parmjit Dhanda: I have been asked to reply.
	Details of staff employed by regional offices in Brussels are tabled as follows.
	In most cases the offices are funded by a combination of regional and sub-regional partners, including regional development agencies, local authorities and regional assemblies.
	
		
			  Title of office  Number of staff( 1)  Vacancies( 1) 
			 East of England Brussels office (2)5.5  
			 England's East Midlands European office 4 1 
			 London European office 7  
			 North East England in Europe 4 1 
			 North West Brussels office 2  
			 South East England Brussels office 2  
			 South West UK Brussels office 6  
			 West Midlands in Europe office 7 1 
			 Yorkshire in Europe 4  
			 (1) Position at January 2008 (2) Full-time equivalent numbers, seven staff in total employed including part-time staff.

HEALTH

Departmental Managers

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total value is of the remuneration package, excluding bonuses, of the director general of the commercial directorate of his Department.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 12 November 2007
	The total value of the remuneration package on appointment for Mr. Wheeler, director general, commercial directorate was a salary in the range of 185,000 to 190,000, a one-off relocation package of up to 35,000 and contributions to accommodation in the United Kingdom of 8,400 a month. Mr. Wheeler is subsequently able to claim for up to two business class flights to the United States each year. Mr. Wheeler is a member of the civil service pension scheme.

Departmental Marketing

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many posters or displays there are in the offices of his Department and its agencies displaying the names and photographs of Ministers; and what the cost has been of producing such posters or displays in the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department and its agencies have not centrally produced any posters or displays for the specific use of displaying the names and photographs of Ministers in its buildings.

Departmental Telephone Services

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by  (a) his Department,  (b) the NHS and  (c) related departmental bodies for public access to services.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department's main public facing telephone inquiry service, the Customer Service Centre, has a geographic number (020 7210 4850). The Department also uses a Government wide switchboard service for contact with Richmond House (020 7210 3000). There are individual switchboard services for the Department's main buildings and these have geographic telephone numbers.
	The Department's Executive Agencies, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency also have geographic numbers.
	The Department has a healthy start scheme (formerly known as the welfare foods helpline), a service operated under contract to provide assistance to individual members of the public with inquiries about welfare foods e.g. milk tokens. The number for members of the public is 0845 607 6823. The text phone (for minicom users) is 0845 601 7698. The numbers for commercial providers are 08707 203063/201688. The nursery milk reimbursement unit helpline provides information to nurseries and other early years providers. This number is 08707 203055. These telephone numbers will be reviewed as part of the contract review in 2008.
	The Department does not collect information on the telephone numbers used by local national health service organisations and general practitioner practices. Under the NHS next stage review options are being considered in adopting a 3-digit number as a single point of access to NHS urgent care.
	The NHS Direct telephone advice service, which currently operates on 0845 4647, will shortly have to change its number. The Department has had a preliminary discussion with Ofcom about the possibility of securing a 3-digit number for NHS Direct.
	The Department has 25 arms length bodies and a number of national programmes e.g. NHS Employers. Information about telephone services for these bodies is not held centrally and cannot be provided except at disproportionate cost.
	The Department also grants funds a wide range of voluntary and charitable organisations to provide services relating to health and healthy living. Some of these organisations include telephone helplines as part of their services. It is not possible, without incurring disproportionate cost, to identify individual projects with telephones services and whether geographic telephone numbers are used.

Members: Correspondence

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will respond to the letter from the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham of 17 July to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Care Services requesting a meeting to discuss the charging regime for multiple sclerosis treatment centres.

Ben Bradshaw: I would like to apologise for the delay in replying to the hon. Member's letter. Advice is currently being considered and a reply will be sent out shortly.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Bedfordshire Citizen Partnership: Fraud

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the report on the fraud investigation into Bedfordshire Citizen Partnership will be available; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: The Citizens Services Partnership (CSP) Joint Authority Scrutiny Task Group was formed to oversee the findings of the fraud investigation. This is comprised of members from Mid Bedfordshire district council, South Bedfordshire district council and Bedfordshire county council. The fraud investigation is currently continuing and the Task Group is awaiting the receipt of a further general update from Bedfordshire police, covering in particular the outcome of its discussions with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Audit Commission. The Task Group is also awaiting the receipt of a report from the Assistant Director (Audit and Risk Management) at Bedfordshire county council, which presents a summary of the previous four Internal Audit reports regarding the CSP, in terms of what recommendations remain outstanding regarding the governance arrangements and probity of the Partnership and what, if any, changes had taken place at Bedfordshire county council to address weaknesses identified.

Council Tax

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the value of council tax receipts was in each Government office region in England in each year since 1997-98.  [Official Report, 23 April 2008; Vol. 474, c. 9MC.]

Parmjit Dhanda: Details of the council tax collected in each Government office region in England in each year since 1997-98 are shown in the following table. The figures are shown in 000 and are the amount collected within the year, irrespective of the year to which the money relates. The figures include both arrears received for previous years and prepayment of council tax for subsequent years but exclude amounts funded by council tax benefit.
	
		
			  000 
			   1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 North East 449 488 520 555 593 648 709 755 793 828 
			 North West 1,310 1,424 1,519 1,623 1,733 1,860 2,034 2,136 2,235 2,349 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 781 949 1,014 1,087 1,171 1,277 1,415 1,512 1,595 1,668 
			 East Midlands 765 860 935 1,013 1,087 1,213 1,334 1,433 1,502 1,575 
			 West Midlands 940 1,027 1,113 1,198 1,298 1,421 1,573 1,662 1,743 1,813 
			 East of England 1,026 1,190 1,306 1,427 1,542 1,722 1,977 2,122 2,225 2,345 
			 London 1,386 1,486 1,616 1,767 1,944 2,099 2,448 2,617 2,771 2,888 
			 South East 1,583 1,926 2,092 2,260 2,435 2,696 3,102 3,329 3,506 3,691 
			 South West 905 1,109 1,203 1,312 1,406 1,576 1,801 1,942 2,048 2,158 
			 Total 9,146 10,459 11,318 12,242 13,208 14,511 16,392 17,508 18,419 19,315

Council Tax: Standards

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1306W, on council tax: standards, for which datasets, used to calculate best value performance indicators but not required for either the National Indicator set or local indicators, the data will continue to be collected.

John Healey: We are working with other Government Departments to identify those data collections which are to be discontinued, in line with the commitment made in the Local Government White Paper to limit data collection to that which is necessary for reasons such as financial management and policy development and the 30 per cent. target for reduction in data burdens announced on 9 October 2007 as part of the comprehensive spending review.

Council Tax: Standards

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1306W, on council tax: standards, for what reasons the performance data collected from local authorities through final quarterly returns will not be included in the National Indicator set.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 18 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1306W.

Departmental Consultants

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consultancy contracts her Department issued in each year since 2005; what the  (a) value,  (b) purpose and  (c) contractor was in each case; and whether the consultant's report is publicly available in each case.

Parmjit Dhanda: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 22 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1796, given to my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central (Jim Cousins). Further information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Telephone Services

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by  (a) her Department and  (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services.

Parmjit Dhanda: Communities and Local Government has one 0845 number to provide information to home owners in relation to energy performance certificates (0845 365 2468). This service is operated by a third party on the Department's behalf. There are no other 0845 or similar numbers used by the Department or related public bodies.

Departmental Travel

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how much her Department spent on travel  (a) within and  (b) outside the UK for officials in each of the last 10 years; and what percentage of her Department's overall expenditure was spent on such travel in each such year;
	(2)  how many overseas visits by officials in her Department took place in each of the last 10 years; which countries were visited; and how much was spent on such visits in each such year.

Parmjit Dhanda: Communities and Local Government (CLG) and its predecessor the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) were created following the machinery of government changes on 5 May 2006 and 29 May 2002, respectively.
	The following table sets out the total annual departmental costs of overseas and UK travel and subsistence (for both civil servants and Ministers) for CLG and the former ODPM (excluding the Government offices). Expenditure figures prior to 2002-03 are not available and the detailed breakdown of overseas visits information could be obtained only at disproportionate costs.
	The total cost of travel and subsistence represents in each year approximately 2 per cent. of the central Department's overall near cash administration expenditure.
	
		
			   ODPM  CLG 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 UK travel and subsistence 2,500,200 2,893,167 2,976,065 2,636,968 2,163,827 
			 Overseas travel and subsistence 251,162 241,014 245,360 377,623 104,722 
			 Total 2,751,362 3,134,181 3,221,425 3,014,591 2,268,549

Fire Services: Pensions

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her reasons were for replacing departmental Guidance 2004 (FSC 30/2004) on the ill-health retirement provision in the firefighters pension scheme with CLG Revised Guidance 2006 (FPS Circular 11/2006); and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The 2006 Guidance reminded fire and rescue authorities informally that the test for eligibility for an ill-health pension is permanent disablement for firefighting and for performing other duties appropriate to the role. It was issued because it was clear that some authorities were still applying the pre-September 2004 test which was limited to permanent disablement for firefighting.

Floods: Fire Services

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance is given to fire authorities on the assistance which should be given to householders who have experienced flooding.

Parmjit Dhanda: Individual fire and rescue services provide advice on the steps which need to be taken by the householder once firefighters have left an incident, usually in the form of a leaflet, with the information also available online.
	No central guidance is issued to fire and rescue authorities on the form that such advice should take.

Homes and Communities Agency

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers the proposed new Homes and Communities Agency will have to enter private property and land.

Caroline Flint: Having given at least 28 days notice, the Homes and Communities Agency will be able to enter land it wishes to acquire, or regarding which compensation is to be determined, at a reasonable time, in order to estimate its value or survey it.
	These powers are modelled on the existing powers of the Urban Regeneration Agency, which will be dissolved once the Homes and Communities Agency is established.

Homesale Network

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library the minutes of the Home Sale Network meeting of 9 November.

Caroline Flint: The Home Sale Network conference of 9 November was not a Department of Communities and Local Government event.

Housing: Contamination

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  whether she has been informed of any cases where residential houses have been built on contaminated land before such land has been signed off by an environmental health officer;
	(2)  what consideration has been given to amending planning policy statements so that houses may not be built on contaminated land that has not been signed off by an environmental health officer.

Caroline Flint: There have been cases where the remediation of contaminated land was not addressed appropriately prior to redevelopment. This is why the Government published new planning policy on land remediation in 2004. The policy, set out in Planning Policy Statement 23: Planning and Pollution Control (PPS23) and supporting annexe, expects a local planning authority in granting planning permission for new development to be satisfied that the proposed development is appropriate, having regard to the information available to it about the contamination and the proposed remediation measures and standards. PPS23 makes it clear that the developer is responsible for ensuring appropriate, competent professional advice is available to carry out investigations of land potentially affected by contamination, assessment of risk and the design and execution of remediation works, including verification of their effectiveness. The local planning authority is entitled to rely on that advice or to challenge it on the basis of similarly-qualified expert advice accessible to it in-house or externally. In all cases the standard of remediation to be achieved through the granting of planning permission for a new development is the removal of unacceptable risk and making the site suitable for its new use.

Housing: Renewable Energy

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the new planning policy statement on climate change will  (a) allow local authorities to continue to implement the Merton Rule and  (b) require that a minimum proportion of all new developments' energy needs should come from on-site renewables.

Caroline Flint: The new planning policy statement (PPS) on climate change will boost the use of local renewable and low carbon energy in new development. The PPS sets out our 'Merton-Plus' approach. It expects all local planning authorities to have a council-wide target (like existing Merton rules) and, additionally, tailored targets for sites where there is greater potential for using decentralised energy to supply new development. These targets should be flexible enough to consider community schemes (for example, wind turbines or CHP schemes serving more than one site) as well as building specific technologies.
	Councils could still set an on-site target in their Development Plan Document (DPD) provided they can show this is the only local energy option and there are no other options than on-site. In practice, we think there are unlikely to be many situations like this. We wouldn't rule out on-site renewables targets in DPDs provided it is clear that the DPD policy/target will be applied flexibly and will allow carbon savings from local energy supplies to be considered and count towards it.

Housing: Sales

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes were  (a) placed on sale and  (b) sold through (i) Social HomeBuy, (ii) New Build HomeBuy, (iii) Open Market HomeBuy and (iv) the First Time Buyers Initiative in each region in each of the last five years.

Caroline Flint: The HomeBuy scheme, including the First Time Buyers Initiative, commenced on 1 April 2006. In general it is not possible to provide data on the number of homes placed on sale.
	(i) For Social HomeBuy, some participating landlords are offering the scheme widely across their stock. Others are targeting specific estates, locations or local authority areas. We estimate that the pilot scheme will be available by the end of this year across 5 per cent. of social stock.
	(ii) New Build HomeBuy and (iv) the First Time Buyers Initiative homes are sold on a continuous basis and marketing generally starts at three to six months prior to completion of the property.
	(iii) Properties purchased under Open Market HomeBuy are selected by the purchaser on the open market.
	Completions for the HomeBuy scheme, including the First Time Buyers Initiative, in 2006-07 and from 1 April to 31 October 2007 are set out in the following tables broken down by region.
	
		
			  2006-07 
			  Region  Open Market HomeBuy  New Build HomeBuy/Shared Ownership  Social HomeBuy  First time Buyers Initiative 
			 London 988 3,553 24 11 
			 South East 873 2,862 2 6 
			 South West 84 825 0  
			 East Midlands 52 810 3  
			 Eastern 277 1,211 0  
			 West Midlands 137 652 0 7 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 31 303 12  
			 North East 0 100 2  
			 North West 65 724 4  
			 Total 2,507 11,040 47 24 
			  Note:  Regional figures do not include 1,044 RCGF completion or 2,562 2005-06 RCGF completions as these cannot be broken down by region. 
		
	
	
		
			  2007-08: 1 April 2007 to 31 October 2007 
			  Region  Open Market HomeBuy  New Build HomeBuy/Shared Ownership  Social HomeBuy  First time Buyers Initiative 
			 London 216 1366 56 106 
			 South East 427 859 4 109 
			 South West 129 422 0 55 
			 East Midlands 24 208 4 0 
			 Eastern 170 384 0 4 
			 West Midlands 78 367 2 61 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 51 64 18 43 
			 North East 4 29 9 17 
			 North West 83 290 21 32 
			 Total 1,182 3,989 114 427

Institute for Public Policy Research: Finance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 10 December 2007,  Official Report, column 142W, on the Institute for Public Policy Research: finance, what the name of the research commissioned by the Commission on Integration and Cohesion was; and how much public funding was allocated to the work.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Institute for Public Policy Research wrote a paper for the Commission on Integration and Cohesion entitled Challenging attitudes, perceptions and myths. This paper informed the Commission's final report and was published on their website:
	www.integrationandcohesion.org.uk
	Its cost was 7,950.

IPSOS Mori

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what payments her Department has made to IPSOS Mori in the last 24 months; and for what purposes.

Caroline Flint: IPSOS Mori has undertaken a range of work for the Department over the last 24 months, for which total payments amount to some 1,958,779. The most significant items are:
	
		
			
			 Area trial research in relation to Home Information Packs 619,304 
			 Community policy (England) 471,005 
			 New ventures research 159,348 
			 Small area data 116,624 
			 2007 staff survey 86,186 
			 User empowerment in local authorities 71,750 
			 Post implementation of Home Information Packsqualitative research 64,000 
			 Home information packs training centre research 49,096 
			 Housing mobility 40,422

Radical Middle Way

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government further to the letter of 18 December 2007 to the hon. Member for Wycombe from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Gloucester (Mr. Dhanda), about the Radical Middle Way roadshows, when officials from her Department and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will contact the hon. Member for Wycombe about the commitment given in that letter.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 24 January 2008
	 I understand that officials in my Department have been in contact with the hon. Member's office to organise a meeting to discuss the Radical Middle Way roadshows.

Itis Holdings

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what meetings her Department has had with Itis Holdings in the last 36 months.

Parmjit Dhanda: Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and advice. It is not the usual practice of Government to disclose details of such meetings.

Itis Holdings

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what payments her Department and its agencies have made to Itis Holdings in the last 36 months; and what ongoing contracts it has with the company.

Parmjit Dhanda: In the last three years the Department has made no payments to and holds no contracts with Itis Holdings.

Local Strategic Partnerships: Finance

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government where funding for local strategic partnerships comes from; and to whom members of local strategic partnerships are accountable.

John Healey: Local strategic partnerships (LSPs) are voluntary, non statutory partnerships which are comprised of local public, private and third sector organisations. They derive their funding from voluntary contributions made by the bodies that are represented on the partnership. This is a matter for local decision and as such will vary from area to area.
	Local strategic partnership members remain accountable to the organisation they represent, but we are clear that in order for LSPs to operate effectively, members should collectively agree clear and transparent lines of accountability within the partnership. The details remain a matter for local discretion and as such will vary from area to area. Further information can be found at 2.1 to 2.9 of the draft guidance which has been issued for consultation, Creating Strong, Safe and Prosperous Communities, available on the CLG website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/statutoryguidance

Multiple Occupation: Licensing

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will discuss with the Home Secretary the creation of a central record of offences committed under the National Licensing Scheme for houses in multiple occupation; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The Department has no current plans to establish a central record of offences committed under mandatory licensing of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). Implementation of mandatory HMO licensing is conducted at a local level.

Planning: Renewable Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the Merton planning rule requiring onsite renewables on the viability of major new developments.

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Montgomeryshire (Lembit pik) on 16 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1259W, which confirmed that the information required to make the assessments sought is not held centrally and could be assembled from local authorities only at a disproportionate cost.

Regional Development

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment she has made of the  (a) role and  (b) effectiveness of (i) vision boards and (ii) local strategic partnerships.

John Healey: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has not made any assessment of the role or effectiveness of vision boards.
	The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government assessed the role and effectiveness of local strategic partnerships in the Local Government White Paper (October 2006). This drew on the evidence of a programme of evaluation of English LSPs between 2002 and 2006 and a full public consultation which ran from December 2005 to March 2006. The findings of this research and consultation are available on the Communities and Local Government website. Following this assessment, the Secretary of State has recently issued draft guidance for consultation which sets out the role that Government think, subject to the results of consultation, LSPs might be expected to perform and the key governance principles which we recommend they might adopt. This draft guidance is available on the CLG website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/statutoryguidance

Sustainable Development: Urban Areas

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the estimated time is for an eco-town to be constructed and fully completed, following initial approval from her Department's bidding process.

Caroline Flint: After consultation on the proposals and consideration of individual schemes, we are looking for the first eco-towns to start within the next two years, and to deliver significant growth over the next decade.

Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what obligation there is on local planning authorities to levy affordable housing contributions on applications classified as a sui generis use under the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 as amended.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 17 December 2007
	Planning Policy Statement 3Housing requires local authorities to set targets in local plans for the amount of affordable housing to be delivered in their area, and to set out the range of circumstances in which contributing towards affordable housing will be sought.
	It is for local planning authorities to decide, under the Use Classes Order, whether the use of a particular premises is sui generis, and whether it is appropriate to seek affordable housing contributions from proposed new developments which they deem to be sui generis.

Unitary Councils

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government from which local authorities making proposals for future unitary structure was further information sought by her Department to assist with assessment in advance of the Government statement on 27 March 2007; if she will place in the Library the  (a) questions that were presented to each local authority and  (b) their responses; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: Further information was sought from all 26 authorities who submitted proposals in response to our invitation of 26 October. Details were placed on their websites by the relevant authorities. I will place information in the House Libraries in due course.

Unitary Councils: Bedfordshire

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the cost of Bedfordshire county council's campaign to become a unitary authority to date; how much she expects to be spent in total; and how much these figures represent per council tax payer.

John Healey: We have made no such estimate. Spending by Bedfordshire county council in connection with, and in support of, their proposal for unitary status is a matter for the council, its auditors and council tax payers. The Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity, to which councils are required to conform, provides that councils should not use public funds to mount publicity campaigns whose primary purpose is to persuade the public to hold a particular view on a question of policy.

TREASURY

Census

Mike Gapes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Office for National Statistics will include White Irish as a category in the 2011 census.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 28 January 2008:
	As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking if a category of White Irish will be included in the 2011 Census, (181763)
	The current version of the ethnic group question being used in the testing programme does include Irish under the White category. However, until the consultation and testing programme is complete and formal approval is given by Parliament in 2010, it is not possible to confirm what questions and response categories are to be included in the 2011 Census.
	A White Paper setting out the Government's proposals including the wording of any questions about ethnicity and identity is scheduled to be published in autumn 2008.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Philip Dunne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Chief Information Officer of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) last reviewed the security procedure for accessing the Child Benefit database within HMRC.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 27 November 2007
	The latest review of the security procedures for accessing child benefit IT systems forms part of HMRC's Internal Audit Annual Programme for 2007-08. Preliminary work on this review began in June 2007 prior to the child benefit data loss incident in October 2007 and will be ongoing until March 2008.
	On 20 November, the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures by Kieran Poynter, chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers. The interim report was published on 17 December and is available in the Library of the House.
	I also refer the hon. Member to the remarks I made on 28 November 2007,  Official Report, column 344 setting out the three key steps all staff in HMRC must now follow for bulk data transfers.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 7 January 2008,  Official Report, column 308W, on Child Benefit: personal records, what percentage of households constitute the vast majority referred to.

Jane Kennedy: Of the letters HMRC sent to every affected household, only 1.4 per cent. were returned because the address held was not current.
	At any given time there will be a small minority of households for which HMRC do not hold up-to-date addresses. Some 10,000 people move house each week and there can often be a delay in claimants informing HMRC of their change of address.

Credit

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make an estimate of the effect on the public finances of the current credit conditions in the economy; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: Table B2 of the 2007 pre-Budget report and comprehensive spending review (Cm 7227) contains the latest estimates for the current budget surplus and net borrowing, as well as the changes to these estimates since Budget 2007. These changes include the allowance made in the pre-Budget report for the impact of financial market disruption on the public finances, along with other factors. Updated forecasts of the public finances will be published in Budget 2008.

Credit Unions

Tom Levitt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to allow credit unions to provide interest-bearing savings accounts to their members.

Angela Eagle: As set out in the summary of responses to the consultation on the Review of co-operative and credit union legislation in the United Kingdom, the Government see some merit in allowing credit unions the flexibility to provide interest-bearing accounts but they must also consider, among other things, the burdens this could create for smaller credit unions. The Government are currently considering the issue in more detail and will make further announcements in due course.

Departmental Data Protection

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions the Information Commissioner was contacted by  (a) his Department and  (b) his Department's agencies to report breaches of data protection security in each of the last five years.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 27 November 2007
	Since April 2005, HMRC has discussed eight data security incidents involving customer information with the Information Commissioner's Office as a matter of good practice and to ensure appropriate lessons are learned from such incidents.

Departmental Telephone Services

Rob Marris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by  (a) his Department and  (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services.

Angela Eagle: The following table lists the number of 0845 telephone numbers in use, together with an estimate of the number of these which are used for public facing services as at 17 January 2008.
	It is not possible to provide information on similar cost numbers as call charges are based on the tariff arrangements that customers have with their service provider and the device they use for the call and the location from which they call, and these data are not available.
	
		
			  Name  Number of 0845 numbers used  Number relating to public facing services 
			 Debt Management Office 126 18 
			 Government Actuary's Department 0 0 
			 HM Revenue and Customs 977 135 
			 HM Treasury 0 0 
			 National Savings and Investments 8 8 
			 Office of Government Commerce 1 1 
			 Office for National Statistics 22 22 
			 Royal Mint 85 85 
			 Valuation Office Agency 3 2 
			 Total 1,222 (1)271 
			 (1 )Estimated

European Union: Finance

Peter Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the UK net contribution was to the EU  (a) in the latest period for which figures are available and  (b) is expected to be in 2011.

Jane Kennedy: The United Kingdom's net contribution to the EC Budget in 2006-07 can be found at table B11 (page 173) of the pre-Budget report (Cm 7227). Details of the Government's latest forecast of the United Kingdom's net contribution to the EC Budget over the period 2007-08 to 2010-11 can also be found at table B11. These numbers will be updated as usual for the 2008 Budget.

Income: Tyne and Wear

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average household income was in Houghton and Washington, East constituency in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 28 January 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, asking what the average household income was in Houghton and Washington East constituency in each year since 1997 (181551).
	The table below shows average net household incomes for Houghton and Washington East constituency for 2001/02 and 2004/05, both before and after housing costs. For comparison, estimates of average income for either Great Britain or the UK have also been provided. These are based on the Households Below Average Income series which is produced using the Family Resources Survey. There are no figures available for other years.
	
		
			  Average weekly household income( 1, 2, 3) 
			  Per week 
			   Net weekly equivalised household income (before housing costs)( 4)  Net weekly equivalised household Income (after housing costs)( 4) 
			  2001-02   
			 Houghton and Washington, East 320 280 
			 Great Britain 390 340 
			
			  2004-05   
			 Houghton and Washington, East 360 310 
			 UK 430 370 
			 (1) Due to changes in methodology these two estimates do not provide a reliable estimate of the change between 2001-02 and 2004-05. Estimates have not been adjusted for inflation. (2 )Net income is gross income minus income tax payments, national insurance contributions, contributions to occupational pension schemes, all maintenance and child support payments. (3) Figures rounded to the nearest 10. (4) Housing costs include rent (gross of housing benefit), water charges, mortgage interest payments, structural insurance, ground rent and service charges.  Source:  ONS, Department for Work and Pensions.

Multiple Occupation: Licensing

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider introducing performance measures for HM Revenue and Customs officers on proactive engagement with enforcement officers implementing the National Licensing Scheme for Houses in Multiple Occupation.

Jane Kennedy: HMRC's remit does not include supporting enforcement officers from local authorities implementing the National Licensing Scheme for Houses in Multiple Occupation.

Northern Rock

Tim Farron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the future of the Northern Rock Foundation in the event of the nationalisation of Northern Rock bank.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement the Chancellor made on 21 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 1207-24.

Personal Savings

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans the Government have to encourage saving to reduce the credit deficit; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: Since 1997, the Government have sought to support saving and asset ownership for all, from childhood, through working life and into retirement. The Government have introduced Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) to develop and extend the saving habit, which from April 2008 will be made simpler, more flexible and more generous. The Government have also introduced the Child Trust Fund, which will ensure that all children will hold a financial asset at the age of 18, and have piloted the Saving Gateway with feasibility work into the system requirements to enable wider introduction now being taken forward. Personal Accounts will enable individuals on low to medium incomes to save in a pension over their working lives.

Registration of Births Deaths Marriages and Civil Partnerships: Data Protection

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he held with the  (a) British Banking Association,  (b) Building Societies Association and  (c) Council of Mortgage Lenders on safeguarding data provided under the Supply of Information (Register of Deaths) Regulations 2007 to prevent its use for fraudulent purposes.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, 28 January 2008:
	As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question asking what discussions were held with the  (a) British Banking Association,  (b) Building Societies Association and  (c) Council of Mortgage Lenders on safeguarding data provided under the Supply of Information (Registration of Deaths) Regulations 2007 to prevent its use for fraudulent purposes. (180898)
	The British Banking Association, Building Societies Association and Council of Mortgage Lenders were invited to respond to the Disclosure of Death Registration Information consultation which was published in December 2006. The British Banking Association and the Building Societies Association responded to the consultation, their responses have been published on the GRO website. The consultation included information on the requirement for organisations to meet security standards as part of a compliance regime to be implemented with the scheme.

Registration of Births Deaths Marriages and Civil Partnerships: Data Protection

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to inform the public about the disclosure of death registration data under the Supply of Information (Register of Deaths) Regulations 2007.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, 28 January 2008:
	As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question about the plans to inform the public about the disclosure of death registration data under the Supply of Information (Register of Deaths) Regulations 2007. (180899)
	A press release was issued on 16 January 2008 to all national and regional newspapers within the UK, and to all social affairs and home affairs correspondents.
	Details of the scheme, and how to apply for the data, can be found on the website of the General Register Office (GRQ) for England and Wales. Links to this website can also be found on the websites of GRO Northern Ireland and GRO Scotland.

Registration of Births Deaths Marriages and Civil Partnerships: Data Protection

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what safeguards he has put in place to ensure that death registration data disclosed under the Supply of Information (Register of Deaths) Regulations 2007 will not be available to those not entitled to it.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, 28 January 2008:
	As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question about the safeguards that will be put in place to ensure that death registration data disclosed under the Supply of Information (Register of Deaths) Regulations 2007 will not be available to those not entitled to it. (180900)
	Applicants for the data will be subject to a rigorous two stage application process to ensure that they will be using the data lawfully and that they adhere to the appropriate physical and data security standards for its receipt, access and processing. Data will be encrypted and transferred from GRO to a named individual in each organisation by secure courier.

Registration of Births Deaths Marriages and Civil Partnerships: Data Protection

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has held with the devolved Administrations on the Supply of Information (Register of Deaths) Regulations 2007.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 28 January 2008:
	As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about any discussions held with the devolved administrations on the Supply of Information (Register of Death) Regulations 2007. (180901)
	The Registrars General for England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland have introduced the Disclosure of Death Registration Information Scheme jointly in order that customers can receive death information for all of the UK. The Registrars General for Northern Ireland and Scotland have discussed the scheme accordingly with Ministers in the devolved administrations throughout its development.

Registration of Births Deaths Marriages and Civil Partnerships: Data Protection

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether written Ministerial approval is required to authorise the release of death registration data under the terms of the Supply of Information (Register of Deaths) Regulations 2007.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 28 January 2008:
	As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about whether written Ministerial approval is required to authorise the release of death registration data under the terms of the Supply of Information (Register of Deaths) Regulations 2007. (180902)
	The regulations required approval by the Chancellor of the Exchequer; the decision on whether to release data to any of the organisations named within the regulations is within the powers of the Registrar General.

Taxation: Gaming

John Hemming: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what factors he takes into consideration when determining the tax rate for gaming products;
	(2)  if he will apply a zero-rate VAT liability to the bingo industry;
	(3)  what plans he has to amend the taxation and duties payable by  (a) bookmakers,  (b) bingo operators and  (c) gaming machines operators.

Angela Eagle: The Government consider all relevant factors when establishing and maintaining fair regimes for the gambling taxes. The Chancellor keeps all taxes under review and decisions about gambling taxation are made at Budget alongside all other tax decisions.

Unemployment: Easington

John Cummings: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) 16 to 18 and  (b) 18 to 24-year-old people are unemployed in Easington constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 28 January 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many 16 to 18 and 18 to 24 year old people are employed in Easington constituency; and if he will make a statement. (182375).
	The Office for National Statistics compiles employment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
	Table 1 attached provides estimates based on people aged 16-17 and 18-24, in employment, resident in Easington, for the 12 months ending June 2007, from the latest available data from the APS. The corresponding employment rate for persons in the 16-17 age group is unavailable. In the 18-24 age group the rate is 79 per cent for the 12 months ending June 2007.
	As these estimates are for a subset of the population in a small geographical area, they are based on small sample sizes, and are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Table 1:  employment in Easington for the 12 months ending June 2007 
			  Age  Level (thousand)  Rate (percentage) 
			 16 to 17 (1) (1) 
			 18 to 24 4 79 
			 (1) Estimates not available since the group sample size is too small.  Note: Estimates are subject to sampling variability.  Source: Annual Population Survey; ONS

Welfare Tax Credits

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many and what percentage of tax credit claimants have been overpaid more than once since their claim began;
	(2)  how many and what percentage of tax credit claimants have been underpaid more than once since their claim began.

Jane Kennedy: Tax credits are designed to be responsive to changes in a family's circumstances There will be an under or overpayment at the end of the year if changes are not reported or processed promptly. The Government announced a package of measures at the Pre-Budget Report 2005 to ensure the system strikes the right balance between providing a stable award and maintaining the ability to respond to changes. Once fully implemented this package is expected to reduce the level of overpayments by around a third.
	The number and proportion of tax credit awards with more than one overpayment or underpayment, between 2003-04 and 2005-06, is detailed in the following table:
	
		
			  Years in which overpayment or underpayment occurred  Number of awards with more than one overpayment  Number of awards with more than one underpayment 
			 2003-04 and 2004-05 528 100 
			 2004-05 and 2005-06 404 134 
			 2003-04 and 2005-06 227 78 
			 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 260 28 
			 Total 1,419 340 
			 Proportion of all tax credit awards in 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 (percentage) 18 4

JUSTICE

Cabinet Committees

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which Cabinet committees and sub-committees he chairs.

Bridget Prentice: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor (Mr. Straw), Chairs the Ministerial Committee on Constitution, the Ministerial Committee on Domestic Affairs, and its Sub-Committee on Justice and Crime.
	The full list of Cabinet Committees, their full membership and terms of reference, is available in the Libraries of both Houses. The details are also available on the Cabinet Office website. The Prime Minister notified the House of an updated Cabinet Committee list via a written statement on 17 January 2008,  Official Report, column 40WS.

Departmental Telephone Services

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by  (a) his Department and  (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services.

Maria Eagle: My Department has 58 0845 telephone numbers and 53 0870 numbers which are in use for the public.
	The Department does not keep a central record for related departmental bodies.

Driving Offences: Prosecutions

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many drivers were prosecuted for  (a) speeding and  (b) speed-related offences in each region of England in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: Data showing the number of defendants proceeded against for speeding-related offences in England, by region, from 2002 to 2006 are in Table 1. Data for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.
	Data showing the number of fixed penalty notices issued for speed limit offences between 2001 and 2005 are in table 2. Data for 2006 will be available later this year.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for speeding-related offences( 1)  in England, broken down by region, 2002-06( 2, 3) 
			  Region  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 North East 5,648 4,925 6,648 4,650 4,782 
			 North West 17,459 19,453 17,588 18,214 19,835 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 7,038 7,737 13,465 15,389 15,523 
			 East Midlands 11,598 17,763 18,309 17,609 15,551 
			 West Midlands 11,766 12,029 17,416 14,045 11,952 
			 East of England 23,798 20,871 21,692 27,248 25,927 
			 London 8,498 8,677 8,888 10,959 6,626 
			 South East 23,050 23,755 23,059 24,539 23,589 
			 South West 14,066 19,734 19,672 21,967 23,719 
			 England 122,921 134,944 146,737 154,620 147,504 
			 (1) The data comprise speeding offences not detected by speed camera devices and speeding offences detected by camera devices; under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.  (2) These data are on the principal offence basis.  (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Fixed penalty notices issued( 1)  for speed limit offences( 2 ) by Government office region, England, 2001-05 
			  Number of offences 
			  Region and police force area  2001  2002( 3)  2003( 3)  2004  2005 
			 North East 79,042 74,011 100,285 118,442 83,436 
			 North West 102,884 219,883 204,702 186,659 193,954 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 67,167 67,033 153,020 169,721 184,800 
			 East Midlands 168,369 213,588 221,082 202,323 172,361 
			 West Midlands 69,818 90,953 197,252 191,351 186,943 
			 East 148,286 206,632 238,442 274,838 290,362 
			 London 59,125 58,116 85,077 111,278 136,701 
			 South East 235,500 219,791 290,925 265,901 285,203 
			 South West 105,371 135,549 272,383 304,379 264,190 
			 (1) Covers notices paid only where there is no further action.  (2) Offences under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and the Motor Vehicles (Speed Limits on Motorways) Regulations 1973.  (3) Revised since original publication following amendments received from forces.   Note:  Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Elections: Pakistan

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has been invited by the government of Pakistan to send election observers to that country; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government of Pakistan have welcomed election observers to the forthcoming elections scheduled for 18 February. The EU will be sending a full election observation mission. The UK will be participating in this mission as well as providing bilateral election observers.

Human Trafficking: Telephone Services

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his policy is on the provision of a common helpline number for victims of human trafficking across Europe; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: We recognise the need for transnational work to combat human trafficking and welcome the continued efforts of the European Union in this area. However, we foresee some difficulties with a proposed EU hotline, including issues relating to the management and dissemination of information received and language difficulties. The value of an EU hotline over and above national arrangements and existing structures would have to be demonstrated.

Legislation: Channel Islands

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what items of Channel Islands legislation are awaiting ratification; and when each was received for ratification.

Michael Wills: The Channel Islands legislation currently awaiting ratification is listed in the following table, in alphabetical order, together with the date each item was received:
	
		
			  Legislation  Date 
			 Air Transport Permits (Repeal) (Jersey) Law 200- October 2007 
			 Animal Welfare (Enabling Provisions) (Guernsey) Law, 2006 October 2095 
			 Banking Business (Amendment No. 6) (Jersey) Law 200- November 2007 
			 Cash Controls (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2007 October 2007 
			 Collective Investment Funds (Amendment No. 4) (Jersey) Law 200- November 2007 
			 Company Securities (Insider Dealing) (Bailiwick of Guernsey) (Amendment) Law, 2007 January 2008 
			 Competition and Trading Standards (Enabling Provisions) (Guernsey) Law, 2007 March 2007 
			 Crime (Transnational Organized Crime) (Jersey) Law 200- December 2007 
			 Criminal Justice (Aiding and Abetting etc.) (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2007 August 2007 
			 Criminal Justice (International Co-operation) (Amendment) (Jersey) Law200- November 2007 
			 Criminal Justice (International Co-operation) (Bailiwick of Guernsey) (Amendment) Law, 2007 July 2007 
			 Criminal Offences (Jersey) Law 200- March 2007 
			 Drug Trafficking (Offences) (Amendment) (Jersey) Law 200- November 2007 
			 Emergency and Health Workers (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2006 January 2007 
			 Fees Charges and Penalties (Guernsey) Law, 2007 February 2007 
			 Finance (Jersey) Law 200- December 2007 
			 Financial Services (Amendment No. 3) (Jersey) Law 200- October 2007 
			 Financial Services (Amendment No. 4) (Jersey) Law 200- November 2007 
			 Forfeiture of Money in Civil Proceedings Law, 2007 November 2007 
			 Forgery and Counterfeiting (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2006 September 2006 
			 Harbours (Administration) (Amendment No. 7) (Jersey) Law 200- December 2007 
			 Homicide and Suicide (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2006 January 2007 
			 Income Tax (Amendment No. 29) (Jersey) Law 200- December 2007 
			 Income Tax (Amendment No. 30) (Jersey) Law 200- December 2007 
			 Income Tax (Zero 10) (No.2) Law, 2007 January 2008 
			 Income Tax (Zero 10) (Guernsey) Law, 2007 November 2007 
			 Insurance Business (Amendment No. 6) (Jersey) Law 200- November 2007 
			 Law Reform (Inheritance and Miscellaneous Provisions) (Guernsey) Law, 2006 October 2006 
			 Loi (1939) sur les honoraires des Avocats et des Écrivains (Repeal) (Jersey) Law 200- December 2007 
			 Marriage and Civil Status (Amendment) (Jersey) Law 200- December 2007 
			 Preferred Debts, Dsastre Proceedings and Miscellaneous Provisions(Guernsey and Alderney) Law, 2006 October 2006 
			 Price and Charge Indicators (Jersey) Law 200- November 2007 
			 Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) (Jersey) Law 200- November 2007 
			 Proceeds of Crime (Cash Seizure) (Jersey) Law 200- December 2007 
			 Public Finances (Amendment No. 2) (Jersey) Law 200- December 2007 
			 Public Order (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2006 January 2007 
			 Regulation of Utilities (Bailiwick of Guernsey) (Amendment) Law, 2007 July 2007 
			 Renewable Energy (Alderney) Law, 2007 April 2007 
			 Road Traffic (Drink Driving) (Guernsey) (Amendment) Law, 2006 November 2006 
			 Road Traffic (Parking Fees and Charges) (Enabling Provisions) (Guernsey) Law, 2007 May 2007 
			 Smoking (Prohibition in Public Places and Workplaces) (Alderney) Law, 2007 April 2007 
			 States of Jersey (Amendment No. 3) Law 200- July 2007 
			 States of Jersey (Amendment No. 4) Law 200- November 2007 
			 Terrorism (Amendment No. 2) (Jersey) Law 200- November 2007 
			 Trusts (Guernsey) Law, 2007 August 2007

National Licensing Scheme for Houses in Multiple Occupation

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the  (a) highest,  (b) lowest and  (c) average fine imposed has been for those found guilty of breaking the National Licensing Scheme for Houses in Multiple Occupation laws;
	(2)  how many  (a) successful and  (b) unsuccessful prosecutions there have been under the new National Licensing Scheme for Houses in Multiple Occupation in each local authority area.

Maria Eagle: The relevant part of the 2004 Housing Act came into force on 6 April 2006. In 2006, the latest year for which data are available, there was one prosecution, resulting in a conviction and a 1,000 fine.
	The prosecution took place at the Sussex (Western) court, within the Sussex police force area. From the information available my Department are unable to determine in which local authority area the offence took place.
	Data for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.

National Offender Management Service

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when his Department first received a recommendation that C-NOMIS be cancelled from staff working on the project.

David Hanson: C-NOMIS is not being cancelled.
	In the written ministerial statement I laid before the house on the 8 January, I announced the newly revised and deliverable NOMIS programme. Within that programme, the Prison NOMIS project will continue the roll-out of C-NOMIS, building on the version that is currently successfully in use as the live case management system in three public prisons, and preserving the financial and business benefit from work completed to date.

National Offender Management Service: Finance

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether estates development, including in relation to prison capacity, is classified as capital expenditure in the National Offender Management Service budget.

David Hanson: In line with Government accounting rules all expenditure on estates development (including prison capacity) which results in the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) obtaining an asset with an economic life/benefit of more than one year is classified as capital expenditure in the NOMS budget.

National Probation Service for England and Wales: Pay

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to  (a) implement the pay recommendations of the prison and police review boards and  (b) pay probation staff their regular yearly increments.

David Hanson: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) The Prison Service pay review body (PSPRB) is due to report its recommendations by 16 February 2008. These will be considered at the appropriate time.
	 (b) Under the Probation Service pay agreement probation staff are contractually entitled to pay progression on an annual basis from the 1 April each year but the amount of this progression is the subject of negotiation with the trades unions.

Offender Management Act 2007

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when sections 28 to 30 of the Offender Management Act 2007 will come into force; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Work is currently being undertaken to enable mandatory polygraph pilots to begin by April 2009. By virtue of section 41 of the Offender Management Act 2007, sections 28 and 29 may be brought into force by order only in relation to a specified area for a specified time, unless a draft of the statutory instrument containing the order has been laid before, and approved by, each House of Parliament. The legislation was framed in this way in order to allow pilots of mandatory polygraph testing of sex offenders on licence to take place in specified areas before Parliament decides on whether mandatory testing may be rolled out nationally.

Offenders: Accommodation

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1654W, on Offenders: Accommodation, how many of those receiving bail in respect of alleged violence against the person breached their bail conditions as a result of  (a) alleged re-offending,  (b) failure to attend court and  (c) another cause.

Jack Straw: In 2006, an estimated 5,500 defendants proceeded against for offences in the violence against the person group failed to appear to bail. This information is taken from table 4.9 of the publication Criminal Statistics 2006, England and Wales. Data on re-offending while on bail and on breaches of bail conditions are not collected centrally.

Offenders: Accommodation

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1654W, on Offenders: Accommodation, how many of those bailed for violence against the person  (a) were acquitted,  (b) received a custodial sentence and  (c) received a non-custodial sentence in each of the last three years;
	(2)  what proportion of defendants  (a) bailed and  (b) remanded in custody (i) were acquitted, (ii) received a custodial sentence and (iii) received a non-custodial sentence in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jack Straw: Data showing the number and percentages of defendants acquitted, and receiving custodial and non-custodial sentences, whether remanded on bail or in custody, for 2004-06 (latest three years available) can be found in the following table. These data are a summary of table 4.8 in the annual publication Criminal Statistics, England and Wales. An offence group breakdown is not available by outcome. The general presumption in favour of remand on bail (though subject to important exceptions) is based upon the fundamental principle of our legal system that a person is innocent until proven guilty.
	
		
			  Persons proceeded against by type of remand and final outcome at magistrates courts and the Crown court( 1) , 2004-06England and Wales 
			  Number of persons (thousand) 
			   2004  2005  2006 
			  Final outcome  Bailed  Remanded in custody( 2)  Bailed  Remanded in custody( 2)  Bailed  Remanded in custody( 2) 
			 Acquitted or not proceeded with etc. 151.2 17.0 130.8 14.5 119.2 12.8 
			
			  Convicted:   
			 Immediate custody(3) 44.8 43.7 42.0 41.3 38.7 39.7 
			 Non-custodial sentence(4) 261.9 22.4 259.1 19.9 258.4 18.0 
			 Total number sentenced(5) 319.9 69.6 314.2 64.7 310.1 61.2 
			
			 Total 471.1 86.6 445.0 79.2 429.3 74.0 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage of persons 
			   2004  2005  2006 
			  Final outcome  Bailed  Remanded in custody( 2)  Bailed  Remanded in custody( 2)  Bailed  Remanded in custody( 2) 
			 Acquitted or not proceeded with etc. 32 20 29 18 28 17 
			
			  Convicted:   
			 Immediate custody(3) 10 50 9 52 9 54 
			 Non-custodial sentence(4) 56 26 58 25 60 24 
			 Total number sentenced(5) 68 80 71 82 72 83 
			
			 Total 100 100 100 100 100 100 
			 (1) Remand status shown is that given by the court passing sentence. (2) Includes those remanded for part of the time in custody and part on bail. These figures are not directly comparable with the number of persons received on remand into Prison Service establishments (published annually in Offender Management Caseload Statistics). This is mainly because these figures relate to the year of the final court decision, rather than the year of the initial reception into prison on remand, which may be different. (3) Includes detention in a young offender institution, detention and training orders and unsuspended imprisonment. (4) Includes discharges, fines, community sentences, and fully suspended sentences. (5) Includes offences otherwise dealt with, not counted as custodial or non-custodial sentences.  Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the estimates presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Offenders: Foreigners

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of those bailed for indictable offences were foreign nationals in the last year for which data are available.

David Hanson: Court proceedings data held by my Department, which include information on bail, do not identify the nationality of the defendants proceeded against.

Prison Sentences

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what average length of prison sentence was  (a) imposed and  (b) served in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The following table shows the average custodial sentence length (ACSL) in months imposed for 2000 to 2006. The figures given are for all offences at all courts and exclude life and indeterminate sentences.
	
		
			   ACSL 
			 2000 11.4 
			 2001 11.8 
			 2002 12.6 
			 2003 12.6 
			 2004 12.9 
			 2005 12.6 
			 2006 12.4 
		
	
	On average prisoners serve half the time they are sentenced to.

Prison Sentences

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of all prison sentences handed down in each year since 1997 were for three months or less; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The following table shows the number of persons sentenced to immediate custody for three months or less. It also shows the proportion of those persons sentenced to immediate custody who received three months or less.
	
		
			   Number given custody  Up to and including three months  Proportion (Percentage) 
			 1997 93,841 35,054 37 
			 1998 100,566 39,427 39 
			 1999 105,323 43,059 41 
			 2000 106,187 41,585 39 
			 2001 106,273 40,884 38 
			 2002 111,607 42,542 38 
			 2003 107,670 40,754 38 
			 2004 106,322 39,707 37 
			 2005 101,236 37,100 37 
			 2006 96,017 34,712 36

Prison Sentences

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of all prison sentences handed down in each year since 1997 were for six months or less; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The following table shows the number of persons sentenced to immediate custody for six months or less. It also shows the proportion of those persons sentenced to immediate custody who received six months or less.
	
		
			   Number given custody  Up to and including six months.  Proportion (percentage) 
			 1997 93,841 57,271 61 
			 1998 100,566 63,741 63 
			 1999 105,323 69,262 66 
			 2000 106,187 70,099 66 
			 2001 106,273 69,914 66 
			 2002 111,607 71,961 64 
			 2003 107,670 70,252 65 
			 2004 106,322 68,199 64 
			 2005 101,236 63,856 63 
			 2006 96,017 59,134 62

Prisoners

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) Irish and  (b) other foreign EEA nationals are serving sentences of imprisonment for murder in prisons in England and Wales.

Jack Straw: At the end of September 2007 there were 100 prisoners held in all prison establishments in England and Wales from countries within the European Economic Area who were serving sentences for murder, of which 50 were from the Republic of Ireland (the EEA is all EU countries, plus Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland).
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. Therefore, the figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

Prisoners: Foreigners

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many foreign national prisoners were held in English and Welsh prisons on 31 December 2007, broken down by nationality;
	(2)  how many foreign prisoners of no known country of origin there were in England and Wales on 31 December 2007.

David Hanson: At the end of September 2007, the most recent date for which information is currently available, there were, overall, a total of 11,211 foreign national prisoners in all prison establishments in England and Wales. There were an additional 919 prisoners where the nationality was not currently recorded on central IT systems, of which 650 were untried prisoners held on remand and their nationality is not yet recorded on central data systems. The total includes prisoners held on remand or serving custodial sentences, as well as those held under the Immigration Act 1971 (including those in the immigration removal centres of Dover, Haslar and Lindholme).The full breakdown of these figures can be found in the following table below.
	These figures are updated quarterly at the website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/populationincustody.htm
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	NOMS continues to work with the Border and Immigration Agency to speed up the system for removing those foreign national prisoners who meet the deportation criteria. Where the information is not already available, this will include establishing the nationality of individuals, and the relevant country of origin (or transit) to deport them to if appropriate.
	
		
			  Population in prison by nationality and sex, England and Wales, 30 September 2007 
			  Nationality  Total 
			 All nationalities 80,855 
			 UK nationals 68,725 
			 Foreign nationals 11,211 
			 Not recorded 919 
			   
			  Total Africa 3,313 
			 Angola 86 
			 Burundi 10 
			 Benin 3 
			 Botswana 2 
			 Ivory Coast 27 
			 Central African Republic 9 
			 Congo 119 
			 Cameroon, United Republic 38 
			 Cape Verde 1 
			 Algeria 192 
			 Egypt 16 
			 Ethiopia 40 
			 Ghana 240 
			 Gambia 44 
			 Guinea 14 
			 Equatorial Guinea 1 
			 Guinea/Bissau 1 
			 Kenya 78 
			 Liberia 28 
			 Lesotho 1 
			 Libya 18 
			 Morocco 44 
			 Mali 2 
			 Mauritania 3 
			 Mauritius 17 
			 Malawi 12 
			 Mozambique 6 
			 Namibia 5 
			 Niger 6 
			 Nigeria 1,098 
			 St. Pierre and Miquelon 1 
			 Rwanda 19 
			 Sudan 46 
			 Sierra Leone 84 
			 Senegal 5 
			 Somalia 379 
			 Swaziland 1 
			 Chad 1 
			 Togo 10 
			 Tunisia 21 
			 Tanzania 17 
			 Uganda 77 
			 Western Sahara 1 
			 South Africa 225 
			 Zambia 18 
			 Congo, Democratic Republic 35 
			 Zimbabwe 211 
			   
			  Total Asia 2,017 
			 Afghanistan 96 
			 Bangladesh 164 
			 Burma 5 
			 China 349 
			 Hong Kong 6 
			 Indonesia 3 
			 India 320 
			 British Indian Ocean Territories 1 
			 Japan 2 
			 Cambodia 1 
			 Korea, Republic of (South) 6 
			 Sri Lanka 150 
			 Mongolia 8 
			 Malaysia 26 
			 Philippines 20 
			 Pakistan 412 
			 Singapore 6 
			 Thailand 7 
			 Vietnam 434 
			   
			  Total central and south America 333 
			 Argentina 5 
			 Bolivia 7 
			 Brazil 74 
			 Belize 1 
			 Chile 10 
			 Colombia 114 
			 Costa Rica 3 
			 Ecuador 10 
			 French Guyana 2 
			 Guatemala 3 
			 Guyana 38 
			 Honduras 1 
			 Mexico 22 
			 Panama 3 
			 Peru 6 
			 Paraguay 1 
			 Surinam 10 
			 El Salvador 2 
			 Uruguay 1 
			 Venezuela 20 
			   
			  Total Europe 3,162 
			 Albania 174 
			 Armenia 5 
			 Austria 14 
			 Azerbaijan 4 
			 Bosnia-Herzegovina 7 
			 Belgium 40 
			 Bulgaria 33 
			 Croatia 11 
			 Switzerland 7 
			 Czech Republic 54 
			 Cyprus 52 
			 Germany 131 
			 Denmark 9 
			 Estonia 22 
			 Spain 72 
			 Finland 3 
			 France 152 
			 Georgia 16 
			 Gibraltar 2 
			 Greece 20 
			 Hungary 22 
			 Irish Republic 651 
			 Iceland 1 
			 Italy 95 
			 Kazakhstan 4 
			 Kyrgyzstan 3 
			 Lithuania 203 
			 Latvia 59 
			 Moldova 28 
			 Macedonia 8 
			 Serbia and Montenegro 92 
			 Malta 6 
			 Netherlands 118 
			 Norway 5 
			 Poland 362 
			 Portugal 192 
			 Romania 140 
			 Sweden 15 
			 Slovakia 20 
			 San Marino 1 
			 Slovenia 5 
			 Russia 94 
			 Turkey 203 
			 Turkmenistan 2 
			 Uzbekistan 3 
			   
			  Total middle east 568 
			 United Arab Emirates 8 
			 Iran 207 
			 Israel 23 
			 Iraq 254 
			 Jordan 7 
			 Kuwait 11 
			 Lebanon 24 
			 Oman 1 
			 Qatar 1 
			 Saudi Arabia 12 
			 Syrian Arab Republic 7 
			 Yemen, Republic of 10 
			   
			  Total north America 131 
			 Canada 25 
			 United States of America 106 
			   
			  Total Oceania 51 
			 Australia 26 
			 Fiji 11 
			 French Southern Territories 1 
			 Kiribati 1 
			 New Zealand 10 
			 Papua New Guinea 2 
			   
			  Total other 13 
			   
			  West Indies 1,622 
			 Anguilla 1 
			 Netherlands Antilles 11 
			 Barbados 35 
			 Bermuda 4 
			 Bahamas 5 
			 Cuba 4 
			 Dominica 13 
			 Dominican Republic 11 
			 Grenada 18 
			 Haiti 1 
			 Jamaica 1,357 
			 St. Lucia 36 
			 Montserrat 16 
			 Federation of St. Christopher and Nevis 3 
			 Trinidad and Tobago 92 
			 St. Vincent and the Grenadines 14 
			  Note: Data Sources and Quality: These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, but the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system, and so although shown to the last individual, the figure may not be accurate to that level.  Source: This table has been taken from table 5 of the monthly published statistics to be found at: http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/population-in-custodySep07.pdf. Table 5 is updated quarterly.

Prisoners: Foreigners

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign nationals there were in UK prisons in the most recent period for which figures are available, broken down by country of origin.

David Hanson: At the end of September 2007, the latest date on which published data is available, there were 11,211 foreign national prisoners held in all prison establishments in England and Wales.
	Information on the country of origin of individual prisoners is not available, and may not be the same as their nationality. The following table gives a breakdown by nationality of all foreign national prisoners in prison establishments in England and Wales. It is available quarterly as Table 5 within the population in custody monthly published tables at the following website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/populationincustody.htm
	The latest edition containing Table 5 is given at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/population-in-custodySep07.pdf
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/pop-in-custody-sep07.xls
	Comparable information for Scotland and Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Scottish Executive and the Northern Ireland Prison Service.
	For the proportion of total prisoners who are foreign nationals, Council of Europe data on foreign national prisoners held in other major western countries reveal much higher proportions, for example in Austria (43 per cent.), Spain (33 per cent.), Germany (28 per cent.) and France (21 per cent.) than the figure for England and Wales (14 per cent.), based on 2006 population data.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	
		
			  Population in prison by nationality and sexEngland and Wales 30 September 2007 
			  Nationality  Male  Female  Total 
			 All nationalities 76,439 4,416 80,855 
			 UK nationals 65,387 3,338 68,725 
			 Foreign nationals 10,223 988 11,211 
			 Not recorded 829 90 919 
			 
			  Total Africa 2,874 439 3,313 
			 Angola 80 6 86 
			 Burundi 10 0 10 
			 Benin 3 0 3 
			 Botswana 2 0 2 
			 Ivory Coast 26 1 27 
			 Central African Republic 9 0 9 
			 Congo 112 7 119 
			 Cameroon, United Republic 36 2 38 
			 Cape Verde 1 0 1 
			 Algeria 190 2 192 
			 Egypt 16 0 16 
			 Ethiopia 39 1 40 
			 Ghana 206 34 240 
			 Gambia 40 4 44 
			 Guinea 13 1 14 
			 Equatorial Guinea 1 0 1 
			 Guinea/Bissau 1 0 1 
			 Kenya 66 12 78 
			 Liberia 20 8 28 
			 Lesotho 0 1 1 
			 Libya 18 0 18 
			 Morocco 43 1 44 
			 Mali 2 0 2 
			 Mauritania 2 1 3 
			 Mauritius 16 1 17 
			 Malawi 11 1 12 
			 Mozambique 6 0 6 
			 Namibia 4 1 5 
			 Niger 6 0 6 
			 Nigeria 873 226 1,098 
			 St. Pierre And Miquelon 1 0 1 
			 Rwanda 19 0 19 
			 Sudan 44 2 46 
			 Sierra Leone 75 9 84 
			 Senegal 4 1 5 
			 Somalia 369 10 379 
			 Swaziland 1 0 1 
			 Chad 1 0 1 
			 Togo 8 2 10 
			 Tunisia 21 0 21 
			 Tanzania 16 1 17 
			 Uganda 72 5 77 
			 Western Sahara 1 0 1 
			 South Africa 166 59 225 
			 Zambia 15 3 18 
			 Congo, Democratic Republic 35 0 35 
			 Zimbabwe 172 38 211 
			 
			  Total Asia 1,903 114 2,017 
			 Afghanistan 96 0 96 
			 Bangladesh 160 4 164 
			 Burma 5 0 5 
			 China 313 36 349 
			 Hong Kong 5 1 6 
			 Indonesia 3 0 3 
			 India 306 14 320 
			 British Indian Ocean Territories 1 0 1 
			 Japan 1 1 2 
			 Cambodia 1 0 1 
			 Korea, Republic of (South) 6 0 6 
			 Sri Lanka 148 2 150 
			 Mongolia 7 1 8 
			 Malaysia 21 5 26 
			 Philippines 16 4 20 
			 Pakistan 402 10 412 
			 Singapore 3 3 6 
			 Thailand 4 3 7 
			 Vietnam 404 31 434 
			 
			  Total Central and South America 292 41 333 
			 Argentina 3 2 5 
			 Bolivia 6 1 7 
			 Brazil 65 9 74 
			 Belize 1 0 1 
			 Chile 9 1 10 
			 Colombia 108 6 114 
			 Costa Rica 3 0 3 
			 Ecuador 9 1 10 
			 French Guyana 2 0 2 
			 Guatemala 3 0 3 
			 Guyana 30 7 38 
			 Honduras 1 0 1 
			 Mexico 17 5 22 
			 Panama 2 1 3 
			 Peru 6 0 6 
			 Paraguay 0 1 1 
			 Surinam 9 1 10 
			 El Salvador 0 2 2 
			 Uruguay 1 0 1 
			 Venezuela 16 4 20 
			 
			  Total Europe 2,943 218 3,162 
			 Albania 173 1 174 
			 Armenia 5 0 5 
			 Austria 12 2 14 
			 Azerbaijan 4 0 4 
			 Bosnia-Herzegovina 7 0 7 
			 Belgium 37 3 40 
			 Bulgaria 18 15 33 
			 Croatia 10 1 11 
			 Switzerland 6 1 7 
			 Czech Republic 49 5 54 
			 Cyprus 50 2 52 
			 Germany 119 12 131 
			 Denmark 9 0 9 
			 Estonia 19 3 22 
			 Spain 61 12 72 
			 Finland 2 1 3 
			 France 137 15 152 
			 Georgia 16 0 16 
			 Gibraltar 2 0 2 
			 Greece 15 5 20 
			 Hungary 19 3 22 
			 Irish Republic 618 34 651 
			 Iceland 1 0 1 
			 Italy 87 8 95 
			 Kazakhstan 4 0 4 
			 Kyrgyzstan 3 0 3 
			 Lithuania 197 6 203 
			 Latvia 57 2 59 
			 Moldova 26 2 28 
			 Macedonia 8 0 8 
			 Serbia and Montenegro 90 2 92 
			 Malta 6 0 6 
			 Netherlands 99 19 118 
			 Norway 5 0 5 
			 Poland 342 20 362 
			 Portugal 183 9 192 
			 Romania 123 17 140 
			 Sweden 11 4 15 
			 Slovakia 18 2 20 
			 San Marino 1 0 1 
			 Slovenia 4 1 5 
			 Russia 82 12 94 
			 Turkey 202 1 203 
			 Turkmenistan 2 0 2 
			 Uzbekistan 3 0 3 
			 
			  Total Middle East 558 10 568 
			 United Arab Emirates 8 0 8 
			 Iran 200 7 207 
			 Israel 23 0 23 
			 Iraq 253 2 254 
			 Jordan 7 0 7 
			 Kuwait 11 0 11 
			 Lebanon 23 1 24 
			 Oman 1 0 1 
			 Qatar 1 0 1 
			 Saudi Arabia 12 0 12 
			 Syrian Arab Republic 7 0 7 
			 Yemen, Republic of 10 0 10 
			 
			  Total North America 119 12 131 
			 Canada 19 6 25 
			 United States of America 100 6 106 
			 
			  Total Oceania 49 2 51 
			 Australia 24 2 26 
			 Fiji 11 0 11 
			 French Southern Territories 1 0 1 
			 Kiribati 1 0 1 
			 New Zealand 10 0 10 
			 Papua New Guinea 2 0 2 
			 
			  Total other 13 0 13 
			 
			  West Indies 1,471 151 1,622 
			 Anguilla 1 0 1 
			 Netherlands Antilles 7 4 11 
			 Barbados 32 3 35 
			 Bermuda 4 0 4 
			 Bahamas 5 0 5 
			 Cuba 3 1 4 
			 Dominica 12 1 13 
			 Dominican Republic 8 3 11 
			 Grenada 15 3 18 
			 Haiti 1 0 1 
			 Jamaica 1,225 102 1,357 
			 St. Lucia 29 7 36 
			 Montserrat 15 1 16 
			 Federation of St. Christopher and Nevis 2 1 3 
			 Trinidad and Tobago 69 23 92 
			 St. Vincent and the Grenadines 11 3 14 
			  Notes : These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, but the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system, and so, although shown to the last individual, the figure may not be accurate to that level.

Prisons

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice who the freehold owner is for each prison in England and Wales; and, where the Prison Service rents or leases land or buildings within the Prison Estate, what the remaining periods of each such contract or lease were as at 1st January 2008.

David Hanson: The majority of prisons are freehold. There are three leased prisons and other leased property, the details of which are as follows:
	
		
			  Prisons  
			 Dartmoor 99 year lease due to expire in 2076 
			 Lancaster Castle 25 year lease due to expire in 2026 
			 Kennet 5 year lease due to expire in 2012 (there is an option to extend for a further 5 years) 
		
	
	
		
			  Other Property
			  Location  Prison service area  Type of accommodation  Lease expiring 
			 207 Leicester Road., Ibstock, Leicestershire East Midlands Office 24 March 2016 
			 8 Rishworth Street, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 3BY Yorkshire and the Humber Office 13 November 2013 
			 Crane Mead, Ware, Hertfordshire, SG12 9PY Yorkshire and the Humber Office 8 October 2018 
			  Durham Office 17 January 2019 
			 40 Melton Street, London, NW1 2EE West Midlands 4 Storage Units 6 September 2010 
			 Crane Mead, Ware, Hertfordshire, SG12 9PY Yorkshire and the Humber Office 8 October 2018 
			 28 Queens Road, Hethersett, Norwich, NR9 3DB East of England Office 31 December 2019 
			 85 Abbotsbury Road, London, W14 8JZ East of England Office 26 November 2016 
			 Tanners Lane, Warrington, Cheshire North West Office 31 August 2010 
		
	
	For the following offices lease expiry dates are not available:
	HMPS Staff Care and Welfare Services, Euxton Lane, Lincoln House, Stirling House and Windsor House ChorleyNorth West99
	HMPS Staff Care and Welfare Services, Flowers Hill, BristolSouth West
	HMPS Staff Care and Welfare Services, the Lodge, HawkhillsYorkshire and Humberside
	Phoenix House (Celtic Springs) Newport
	4(th) Floor, Peat House, Leicester
	Marston House, Wetherby
	1-3 Faraday Court, Burton on Trent
	Unit C, Meridian Business Park, Leicester
	Eastern Area Office, Drayton Old Lodge, Norwich
	Unit 8 and 9 Silkwood Business Park, Wakefield
	Faraday Court, Branston
	Tannery Court
	Oakwood House, Warrington
	7 Thornes Office Park, Derby Dale Road, Wakefield
	NE Area Office, 2 Artemis Court, St. Johns Road, Durham
	AMP House, Dingwall Road, Croydon
	Cygnet Park, Unit 2, the Office Villa, Peterborough
	Park House, Hewell Grange, 61 Park House, Redditch, Worcester
	Thorne Road, Doncaster, PECS Area Office, 9 Thorne Road, Doncaster

Prisons: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he plans to review the methodology used in collating performance indicators for prisons, with particular reference to HMP Peterborough; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The National Offender Management Service is reviewing the methodology for performance management for all prisons, including HMP Peterborough, with a view to assessing performance in an equitable and transparent way. The review will be informed by the conclusions of Lord Carter's report.

Regional Offender Managers

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost is of the regional offender managers' property and accommodation in the National Offender Management Service in 2007-08; and where this cost is published.

David Hanson: The estimated cost of the regional offender managers' property and accommodation in 2007-08 is 1.4 million. This cost will be included within the expenditure figures in the Ministry of Justice's annual accounts for 2007-08 but is not disclosed separately.

Reoffenders

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of accused people whose cases were discontinued in the interests of justice were convicted of a further offence within two years in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jack Straw: The information requested is not available centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Data collected within the central court databases do not hold sufficient detail to allow data on those with a discontinued case to be combined with data on subsequent offences held separately with other databases.

Secure Training Centres: Restraint Techniques

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many incidents of restrictive physical intervention were recorded in each establishment of the secure estate for children and young people in the last year for which figures are available.

David Hanson: The following table sets out the number of recorded restrictive physical interventions in each establishment of the secure estate for children and young people from 1 April to 30 November 2007. The data have been provided by the Youth Justice Board. The use of restraint is currently subject to an independent review which is due to report to Ministers by 4 April.
	The Youth Justice Board has been collecting data against common definitions from April 2007. Comparable data are not available for earlier periods.
	
		
			   April  May  June  July  August  September  October  November 
			 Hassockfield 49 56 38 49 96 49 42 44 
			 Rainsbrook 20 26 21 42 50 29 52 45 
			 Oakhill 33 108 151 149 86 71 67 55 
			 Medway 68 80 66 146 81 53 81 67 
			 Ashfield 40 30 29 27 27 53 37 59 
			 Parc 8 6 5 8 6 3 5 5 
			 Brinsford 10 4 11 4 4 27 7 12 
			 Castington 18 8 13 22 20 12 18 18 
			 Feltham 24 24 24 45 24 17 37 18 
			 Hindley 21 22 26 54 30 30 27 31 
			 Huntercombe 29 26 33 30 43 21 43 47 
			 Lancaster Farms 23 42 31 49 52 15 20 22 
			 Stoke Heath 9 10 13 14 20 13 11 12 
			 Thorn Cross 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Warren Hill 11 29 28 22 17 14 10 15 
			 Werrington 29 18 27 20 30 14 17 22 
			 Wetherby 31 23 21 44 22 44 33 34 
			 Cookham Wood 3 11 0 2 0 0 1 0 
			 Downview 9 0 0 0 4 2 2 2 
			 Eastwood Park 0 0 0 0 0 7 7 0 
			 Foston Hall 5 13 10 0 4 6 12 0 
			 New Hall 3 3 5 4 3 3 9 23 
			 Aldine House 4 4 0 0 5 1 2 2 
			 Atkinson Unit 2 6 8 15 18 12 5 10 
			 Aycliffe 24 14 24 23 20 27 18 7 
			 Barton Moss 7 12 6 11 15 9 9 8 
			 Clayfields 11 8 0 0 0 23 18 5 
			 East Moor 50 70 57 32 28 14 26 59 
			 Gladstone House 3 12 15 4 5 14 23 7 
			 Hillside Secure Centre 3 2 6 5 4 5 0 2 
			 Kyloe House 4 3 1 6 0 1 0 0 
			 Lincolnshire SCH 20 51 22 8 13 7 7 12 
			 Orchard Lodge 4 6 10 27 30 31 25 10 
			 Red Bank 30 14 25 24 26 39 25 6 
			 Sutton Place 8 0 0 5 17 11 7 4 
			 Swanwick Lodge 7 5 7 7 9 1 1 0 
			 Vinney Green 8 6 7 6 13 4 8 6

Young Offender Institutions

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the monthly maximum capacity of custody places was for under-18s in each of the last five reported years, broken down by  (a) type of facility and  (b) gender of offender catered for; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The following table, which contains information provided by the Youth Justice Board, shows the maximum capacity of the secure estate for children and young people from April 2002 to December 2007 (the latest month for which figures are available). They are broken down by facility type and, in the case of young offender institutions, by sex. Secure training centres and some secure children's homes are mixed establishments.
	
		
			  YOI 
			   Total  p laces  SCH  STC  Total  Boys  Girls 
			  2002-03   
			 April 3,436 254 130 3,052 2,964 88 
			 May 3,436 254 130 3,052 2,964 88 
			 June 3,468 254 162 3,052 2,964 88 
			 July 3,468 254 162 3,052 2,964 88 
			 August 3,468 254 162 3,052 2,964 88 
			 September 3,468 254 162 3,052 2,964 88 
			 October 3,468 254 162 3,052 2,964 88 
			 November 3,468 254 162 3,052 2,964 88 
			 December 3,500 254 194 3,052 2,964 88 
			 January 3,500 254 194 3,052 2,964 88 
			 February 3,500 254 194 3,052 2,964 88 
			 March 3,500 254 194 3,052 2,964 88 
			  2003- 04   
			 April 3,442 297 194 2,951 2,863 88 
			 May 3,442 297 194 2,951 2,863 88 
			 June 3,442 297 194 2,951 2,863 88 
			 July 3,442 297 194 2,951 2,863 88 
			 August 3,442 297 194 2,951 2,863 88 
			 September 3,442 297 194 2,951 2,863 88 
			 October 3,442 297 194 2,951 2,863 88 
			 November 3,442 297 194 2,951 2,863 88 
			 December 3,442 297 194 2,951 2,863 88 
			 January 3,442 297 194 2,951 2,863 88 
			 February 3,442 297 194 2,951 2,863 88 
			 March 3,442 297 194 2,951 2,863 88 
			
			  2004-05   
			 April 3,229 235 194 2,800 2,712 88 
			 May 3,229 235 194 2,800 2,712 88 
			 June 3,229 235 194 2,800 2,712 88 
			 July 3,229 235 194 2,800 2,712 88 
			 August 3,309 235 274 2,800 2,712 88 
			 September 3,309 235 274 2,800 2,712 88 
			 October 3,309 235 274 2,800 2,712 88 
			 November 3,317 235 274 2,808 2,720 88 
			 December 3,333 235 274 2,824 2,720 104 
			 January 3,333 235 274 2,824 2,720 104 
			 February 3,333 235 274 2,824 2,720 104 
			 March 3,333 235 274 2,824 2,720 104 
			
			  2005-06   
			 April 3,333 235 274 2,824 2,720 104 
			 May 3,333 235 274 2,824 2,720 104 
			 June 3,333 235 274 2,824 2,720 104 
			 July 3,333 235 274 2,824 2,720 104 
			 August 3,333 235 274 2,824 2,720 104 
			 September 3,350 235 274 2,841 2,720 121 
			 October 3,350 235 274 2,841 2,720 121 
			 November 3,356 235 274 2,847 2,720 127 
			 December 3,356 235 274 2,847 2,720 127 
			 January 3,334 235 274 2,825 2,720 105 
			 February 3,334 235 274 2,825 2,720 105 
			 March 3,334 235 274 2,825 2,720 105 
			
			  2006-07   
			 April 3,466 235 274 2,957 2,882 75 
			 May 3,476 235 274 2,967 2,892 75 
			 June 3,476 235 274 2,967 2,892 75 
			 July 3,476 235 274 2,967 2,892 75 
			 August 3,487 235 285 2,967 2,892 75 
			 September 3,487 235 285 2,967 2,892 75 
			 October 3,487 235 285 2,967 2,892 75 
			 November 3,503 235 301 2,967 2,892 75 
			 December 3,519 235 301 2,983 2,892 91 
			 January 3,519 235 301 2,983 2,892 91 
			 February 3,519 235 301 2,983 2,892 91 
			 March 3,491 235 301 2,955 2,864 91 
			
			  2007-08 (to date)   
			 April 3,515 235 301 2,979 2,888 91 
			 May 3,515 235 301 2,979 2,888 91 
			 June 3,515 235 301 2,979 2,888 91 
			 July 3,515 235 301 2,979 2,888 91 
			 August 3,515 235 301 2,979 2,888 91 
			 September 3,545 235 301 3,009 2,918 91 
			 October 3,545 235 301 3,009 2,918 91 
			 November 3,555 235 301 3,019 2,945 74 
			 December 3,545 235 301 3,009 2,935 74

Young Offender Institutions: Standards

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many institutions have been assessed to  (a) be in full compliance,  (b) be in partial compliance and  (c) have failed to comply with the Youth Justice Board's code of practice for managing the behaviour of children and young people in the secure estate; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: An exercise is currently under way to measure the extent to which establishments in the secure estate for children and young people are meeting the Youth Justice Board's code of practice. The results are expected to be known in April.

Young Offenders

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress has been made on the implementation of Lord Carlile's recommendations arising from his February 2006 inquiry into children in custody; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The Youth Justice Board (YJB) published its response to Lord Carlile's inquiry in July 2006. Since that time, the YJB has been working hard to implement those of the recommendations that it accepted.
	The YJB has implemented a code of practice across the secure estate for children and young people and is actively monitoring establishments' compliance. It has also improved monitoring and data collection arrangements and undertaken a safeguarding review which is due to be completed by April 2008. The YJB is developing a work force development programme for the young people's secure estate and is working with the Children's Workforce Development Council to agree core competencies for people working with children.
	The YJB is also in the process of developing more sophisticated conflict resolution techniques. Pilots in restorative justice and therapeutic crisis intervention techniques are both under way. The YJB has also considerably increased the number of outdoor exercise facilities for young people.

Young Offenders: Mentally Ill

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many young offenders and juveniles in custody had one or more diagnosed mental health disorders in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: This information is not held centrally.
	In the study Mental Health Needs and Effectiveness of Provision for Young Offenders in Custody and in the Community (Professor Richard Harrington and Professor Sue Bailey, Youth Justice Board for England and Wales 2005) 31 per cent. were identified as having a mental health problem. A copy of the document is available in the Library.

Young Offenders: Sentencing

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will consider introducing a court diversion scheme for offenders aged 16 to 25 involving attendance on a course of military training as an alternative to court sentencing.

David Hanson: The Government share the concerns about offending by young people and recognise that the military may have resources that could benefit young offenders. We are consulting with a range of organisations which have an interest in youth justice and the provision of youth justice services as part of the Youth Crime Action Plan which will be published in the summer, and will consider the feasibility of sending young offenders on training programmes by the armed services in light of the response to that consultation.
	However, we do not think that a course of military training is the answer. Research from the United States indicates that simply adopting a military-style regime does not, of itself, reduce reoffending. The more successful programmes were those which supported their physically challenging and highly disciplined regimes with well developed education and training addressing offending behaviour.
	We are planning to test out the referral of young adult offenders (18 to 25 years) to existing senior attendance centres through the conditional cautioning scheme, which diverts offenders who admit their offence from court in appropriate circumstances. The centres aim to assist these offenders to acquire and develop personal responsibility, self-discipline and new practical skills and interests within a structured and disciplined environment.
	At present, the conditional cautioning scheme applies only to those aged 18 and above, but we are extending the scheme to young offenders aged 16 and 17 years old through provisions in the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill currently before Parliament.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Academies

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many academies have  (a) produced proposals for collaboration with other schools and  (b) allowed their staff to teach in other local schools.

Jim Knight: holding answer 29 November 2007
	Schools are not required to submit proposals for collaboration. The Department does not collect information on staff from academies teaching in other schools.

Academies

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which academies he has visited since becoming Secretary of State.

Jim Knight: The Secretary of State has visited the Bristol Brunel Academy; the Harris Girls' Academy, East Dulwich and the City of London Academy, Southwark since his appointment in June 2007.

Academies

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which local authorities are  (a) co-sponsoring and  (b) planning to co-sponsor academies; which academies each is sponsoring or co-sponsoring; on what date the (i) expression of interest was received and (ii) funding agreement was signed in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The following local authorities have agreed to co-sponsor academies:
	Cheshire county council
	Corporation of London
	Coventry city council
	Royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea
	Kent county council
	Manchester city council
	Sunderland city council
	Telford and Wrekin council
	West Sussex county council
	The following table shows which academies these local authorities are sponsoring and the date that the expression of interest was signed. The date that the funding agreement was signed is also given for the academies that have reached this stage.
	
		
			  Local authority  Academy name (predecessor school if academy not yet named)  FA (if agreed)  EOI agreed 
			 Cheshire TBC South Area Academy (Whitby High School, Cheshire Oaks High School and Ellesmere Port School) n/a 25 July 2007 
			 Corporation of London City of London KPMG Academy n/a 20 March 2006 
			 Corporation of London City of London Academy n/a 20 April 2006 
			 Corporation of London City of London Southwark Academy 4 September 2003 1 March 2001 
			 Coventry Swanswell n/a 30 January 2007 
			 Kensington and Chelsea The Chelsea Science Academy 30 March 2007 1 January 2005 
			 Kent Marlowe Academy 1 March 2004 1 November 2002 
			 Kent Isle of Sheppey n/a 13 March 2006 
			 Kent Marsh Academy 24 July 2007 13 March 2006 
			 Kent TBC (Cornwallis), South Maidstone Federation 31 August 2007 1 March 2007 
			 Kent New Line Learning Academy, South Maidstone Federation 31 August 2007 1 March 2007 
			 Manchester Digital Communications Academy n/a 22 March 2007 
			 Manchester Construction and the Built Environment Academy n/a 18 December 2006 
			 Manchester Creative Media AcademyGirls n/a 22 March 2007 
			 Manchester Creative Media AcademyBoys n/a 22 March 2007 
			 Manchester Finance and Professional Service Academy n/a 22 March 2007 
			 Manchester Business Enterprise Academy n/a 18 December 2006 
			 Manchester Health Academy n/a 18 December 2006 
			 Sunderland Pennywell/Quarry View Academy 1 August 2007 8 June 2006 
			 Sunderland Castle View Enterprise Academy 1 August 2007 8 June 2006 
			 Sunderland Red House Academy 1 August 2007 8 June 2006 
			 Telford and Wrekin Abraham Darby Academy 30 March 2007 11 April 2007 
			 West Sussex TBC (Littlehampton Community School) n/a 26 July 2007 
			 West Sussex TBC (Boundstone Community College) n/a 26 July 2007 
			 West Sussex TBC (Kings Manor Community College) n/a 26 July 2007

Academies: General Certificate of Secondary Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his latest estimates are of the proportion of pupils in academies obtaining  (a) five or more A* to C GCSEs and  (b) five or more A* to C GCSEs, including Mathematics and English.

Jim Knight: The amended Key Stage 4 results for 2007 show that, excluding former CTCs, a total of 36 academies have GCSE results for 2007. The percentage of pupils in academies with five or more grades A*-C in 2007 was 43.7 per cent.; and the percentage with five or more grades A*-C including English and maths was 25.2 per cent.
	For the 20 academies with results in both 2006 and 2007 the percentage achieving five plus A*-C increased by 8.1 percentage points which is more than three times the increase of 2.6 percentage points seen nationally (maintained, mainstream, CTCs and academies). If English and maths are included, results in academies have risen by 5.1 percentage points which is two and a half times greater than the increase of 1.8 percentage points seen nationally.

Academies: General Certificate of Secondary Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many academies have performance figures for five or more GCSE exams at grades A* to C, including mathematics and English, of below 30 per cent. in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The latest school level GCSE data are for 2007. In that year, 26 out of the 40 academies with results had less than 30 per cent. of their pupils achieving five+ A* to C including English and maths.
	Results for 2006 showed that 18 out of the 24 academies that had results in that year had less than 30 per cent. of their pupils achieving five+ A* to C including English and maths.

Children: Communication Skills

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to support joint working by local authorities and primary care trusts on assisting children with communication difficulties; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what support he will provide to parents through the Children's Plan in relation to children with speech, language and communication difficulties;
	(3)  what guidance he plans to issue to  (a) parent support advisors and  (b) local authorities to help them assist parents of children with communication difficulties; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  if he will include support for children with speech, language and communication difficulties in the Parent's Charter; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of joint working between local authorities and primary care trusts in  (a) children's centres,  (b) primary schools and  (c) secondary schools with regard to services for children with communication difficulties.

Jim Knight: holding answer 14 January 2008
	Effective language and communication skills are fundamental to children and young people's learning, development of social skills and fulfilment of their potential. On 11 September 2007, my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families and the Secretary of State for Health launched a major review of the provision of services for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs, to be led by the hon. Member for Buckingham (John Bercow).
	The review will build on the investment and improvements to speech and language therapy and resources in the last 10 years. It will advise the Government on how the very best provision can be mirrored in all areas and how local services can work together so children and young people up to 19 years of age get the support they need, when they need it.
	The review has been specifically asked to consider the clarity of accountability and responsibility for planning service delivery from national to local level across health, social services and education and to analyse good practice in joint working by schools, local authorities and PCTs, particularly in joint commissioning, including needs assessment and design of service delivery. As mentioned in the Children's Plan, it will also look at means of improving support and information to parents.
	The review plans to submit an interim report in March 2008 and produce a final report by July 2008.
	As regards parent support advisers, we have recently announced funding to expand their availability in every local authority. These advisers work with parents to improve children's behaviour and school attendance, offering advice with parenting, and providing support for families at the first sign a child or young person may be experiencing social, health or behavioural issues. Such support would include help where parents need it to address children's communication needs.
	The Parents' Charter, as outlined in the Children's Plan, will describe the minimum level of support all parents can expect to receive from their local authority. We are currently working on options for the design of a charter and these will be outlined in the spring following discussion with the newly established Parents Panel.

Children: Travelling People

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many children from the Traveller community are registered for primary education in England and Wales;
	(2)  how many children from the Traveller community are registered for secondary education in England and Wales.

Jim Knight: Figures refer to England only. In 2007 there were 2,840 pupils of Traveller of Irish heritage background and 5,370 pupils of Gypsy/Roma background at primary schools and there were 1,040 pupils who were of Traveller of Irish heritage background and 2,610 pupils of Gypsy/Roma background at secondary schools.
	We know that this does not reflect the correct number of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children and young people in our schools as many parents and pupils from these communities fear bullying and prejudice if they identify themselves in school census data. The Department will publish The Inclusion of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Children and Young People a guidance document for local authorities and schools in February 2008. This will offer a range of strategies to encourage Gypsy, Roma and Traveller parents and children to self-ascribe their ethnicity in school census data collection.
	The figures have been taken from the annual publication Schools and Pupils in England; January 2007 (Final) which is available at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR.s000744/index.shtml.
	For information on Wales I refer my hon. Friend to the Welsh Assembly,

Departmental Telephone Services

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by  (a) his Department and  (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services.

Kevin Brennan: The information as requested is not readily available centrally within the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). To respond fully would involve an extensive information collection exercise which would exceed the recommended disproportionate cost threshold. However, to be helpful; using a variety of information and data sources relating solely to DCSF headquarters, the following information can be provided.
	DCSF currently sponsor seven telephone numbers with the prefix (a) 0870, and 10 telephone numbers with the prefix (b) 0845. Alternative geographic telephone numbers are available in each case.

Education: Isle of Wight

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what the requirements are for approval by primary schools of local primary strategies for change, before formal agreement to a strategy by the Department;
	(2)  what specific issues his Department have informed Isle of Wight council are required to be addressed in the local primary strategy for change.

Jim Knight: To be approved by the Department the primary strategy for change should:
	follow the format and content specified in the guidance document issued on 6 December:
	demonstrate how the views of local stakeholders have been taken into account:
	be endorsed by the council and the relevant Diocesan authorities and have the support of the majority of schools:
	address areas of known concern, particularly those specified by the Department.
	To date neither I nor my officials have had any contact with the council about specific areas of concern that we would expect to be addressed through the primary strategy for change. However, we have committed to giving early warning (by no later than the end of January 2008) to those local authorities to which this applies. Key considerations will be in relation to low performing schools or excess surplus places.

Free School Meals: Greater London

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of children in each school in London receive free school meals.

Jim Knight: The percentage of pupils who are known to be eligible for and are claiming their free school meal entitlement in each school in London is given in the table. National level information on free school meals can be found in tables 3a, 3b and 3c of the September SFR 'Schools and Pupils in England, January 2007 (Final)', available at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000744/index.shtml

GCE A-Levels

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 16 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1271W, on GCE A-levels, what types of schools are in the category of other schools.

Jim Knight: The answer to PQ 177300 used the categories Maintained Mainstream Schools, CTC and Academies, Independent Schools and Other Schools.
	The Other Schools category includes the following schools:
	Community Special Schools
	Foundation Special Schools
	Further Education Sector Colleges
	Community Hospital Schools
	Foundation Hospital Schools
	Pupil Referral Unit
	Armed Forces College.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of children achieved five or more A to C grades at GCSE in  (a) Newcastle local education authority schools and  (b) England in (i) 2004-05, (ii) 2005-06 and (iii) 2006-07.

Jim Knight: holding answer  22 January  2008
	The available information is given in the table.
	
		
			  Percentage of pupils at the end of key stage 4 in England and Newcastle upon Tyne local authority who achieve d  five or more GCSEs or equivalent at grades A-C 
			   England  Newcastle local authority 
			 2005 57.1 52.3 
			 2006 59.2 55.8 
			 2007 62.0 61.3 
		
	
	The figures have been taken from the Statistical First Release 'GCSE and Equivalent Examination Results in England (Revised)' which is published annually. The latest figures, which relate to 2006/07, can be accessed at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000768/index.shtml

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals entered for examinations did not obtain any GCSEs in each of the last three years;
	(2)  what number and proportion of pupils  (a) entitled to and  (b) not entitled to free school meals obtained GCSEs at D grade or below or no GCSEs in 2006-07;
	(3)  how many pupils obtained GCSEs at D grade or below or no GCSEs in 2006-07;
	(4)  how many and what proportion of  (a) A*,  (b) A,  (c) B and  (d) C grades at GCSE went to pupils eligible for free school meals in 2007.

Jim Knight: The available information can be found in the following table. Further information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Achievements at GCSE and equivalents, 2002-2007 by free school meal eligibility and gender 
			   5+ A*-C  5+ A*-C including English and mathematics 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007   2005  2006  2007 
			 Boys   
			 FSM 18.8 20.4 22.1 25.5 28.7 31.0 2.3 15.2 16.8 17.9 
			 Non-FSM 48.2 49.9 50.8 53.8 56.2 58.3 2.1 42.1 43.4 44.8 
			 Unclassified 11.9 0.2 35.4 39:0 42.3 43.6 1.3 28.2 31.3 32.2 
			 All pupils 43.7 45.5 46.8 49.9 52.6 54.8 2.2 38.4 39.9 41.4 
			
			 Girls   
			 FSM 27.3 28.5 30.2 34.4 37.4 40.0 2.6 20.8 22.5 24.3 
			 Non-FSM 59.3 60.8 61.4 64.2 66.0 67.5 1.5 50.9 52.1 53.4 
			 Unclassified 17.5 0.0 48.5 45.8 47.7 51.3 3.6 34.3 35.3 37.3 
			 All pupils 54.6 56.1 57.0 60.0 62.2 63.9 1.7 46.7 48.2 49.6 
			
			 Total   
			 FSM 23.0 24.4 26.1 29.9 33.0 35.5 2.5 180 19.6 21.1 
			 Non-FSM 53.7 55.2 56.1 58.9 61.0 62.8 1.8 46.4 47.7 49.0 
			 Unclassified 13.1 0.1 41.1 42.3 44.8 47.3 2.5 31.2 33.2 34.6 
			 All pupils 49.0 50.7 51.9 54.9 57.3 59.3 2.0 42.5 44.0 45.4 
			
			 FSM/ non-FSM gap   
			 Boys 29.4 29.5 28.7 28.3 27.5 27.3 -0.2 26.9 26.6 26.9 
			 Girls 32.0 32.3 31.2 29.8 28.6 27.5 -1.1 30.1 29.6 29.1 
			 Total 30.7 30.8 30.0 29.0 28.0 27.3 -0.7 28.4 28.1 27.9 
		
	
	
		
			   Any passes 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Boys   
			 FSM 85.2 85.7 89.8 91.2 92.7 93.6 
			 Non-FSM 94.9 95.2 96.4 97.1 97;5 97.8 
			 Unclassified 38.5 6.8 85.5 91.8 93.2 93.3 
			 All pupils 93.1 93.5 95.4 96.3 96.8 97.2 
			
			 Girls   
			 FSM 89.3 89.9 92.7 93.8 95.0 95.6 
			 Non-FSM 96.1 96.6 97.5 98.1 98.3 98.5 
			 Unclassified 46.8 6.4 97.6 94.6 94.1 95.8 
			 All pupils 95.0 95.6 96.8 97.5 97.9 98.1 
			
			 Total   
			 FSM 87.2 87.8 91.2 92.5 93.8 94.6 
			 Non-FSM 95.5 95.9 96.9 97.6 97.9 98.1 
			 Unclassified 40.4 6.7 90.8 93.2 93.7 94.5 
			 All pupils 94.0 94.5 96.1 96.9 97.3 97.7 
			
			 FSM/ non-FSM gap   
			 Boys 9.7 9.5 6.6 5.9 4.8 4.2 
			 Girls 6.8 6.7 4.8 4.3 3.3 2.9 
			 Total 8.3 8.1 5.7 5.1 4.1 3.5 
			  Note: Figures from 2005 are based on pupils at the end of key stage 4, earlier figures are based on 15-year-old pupils (age at start of academic year). This information is not available for earlier years; 2002 was the first time pupil-level information was collected during the school census and matched to the attainment information.  Source: National Pupil Database

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what number and proportion of pupils who obtained five GCSEs at grade C or above in 2007 obtained them in English, mathematics, science, a foreign language and either history or geography.

Jim Knight: The information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

General Certificate of Secondary Education: Standards

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools in each local education authority area had fewer that 25 per cent. of pupils achieving five A* to C grade passes at GCSE including mathematics and English in each of the last three years.

Jim Knight: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of maintained mainstream schools with fewer than 25 per cent. of pupils achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE grades (including English and Mathematics) by local authority 
			2004/05  2005/06  2006/07 
			 201 City of London 0 0 0 
			 202 Camden 1 0 0 
			 203 Greenwich 3 6 2 
			 204 Hackney 1 1 0 
			 205 Hammersmith and Fulham 2 0 0 
			 206 Islington 3 1 0 
			 207 Kensington and Chelsea 0 0 0 
			 208 Lambeth 2 1 1 
			 209 Lewisham 2 4 2 
			 210 Southwark 6 4 2 
			 211 Tower Hamlets 3 4 1 
			 212 Wandsworth 3 2 1 
			 213 Westminster 3 0 1 
			 301 Barking and Dagenham 2 1 0 
			 302 Barnet 3 2 0 
			 303 Bexley 5 2 2 
			 304 Brent 1 1 3 
			 305 Bromley 0 0 0 
			 306 Croydon 9 6 3 
			 307 Ealing 1 0 1 
			 308 Enfield 4 3 3 
			 309 Haringey 5 5 4 
			 310 Harrow 0 0 0 
			 311 Havering 2 1 1 
			 312 Hillingdon 4 3 0 
			 313 Hounslow 2 1 0 
			 314 Kingston upon Thames 1 0 0 
			 315 Merton 3 6 1 
			 316 Newham 1 1 1 
			 317 Redbridge 1 0 0 
			 318 Richmond upon Thames 1 0 1 
			 319 Sutton 2 2 2 
			 320 Waltham Forest 2 2 0 
			 330 Birmingham 27 23 17 
			 331 Coventry 4 3 1 
			 332 Dudley 4 4 3 
			 333 Sandwell 7 5 3 
			 334 Solihull 2 3 3 
			 335 Walsall 5 5 4 
			 336 Wolverhampton 4 5 3 
			 340 Knowsley 4 5 2 
			 341 Liverpool 15 9 8 
			 342 St. Helens 1 1 0 
			 343 Sefton 5 4 3 
			 344 Wirral 6 3 2 
			 350 Bolton 4 2 2 
			 351 Bury 0 0 0 
			 352 Manchester 10 13 10 
			 353 Oldham 7 6 3 
			 354 Rochdale 3 2 2 
			 366 Salford 5 6 4 
			 356 Stockport 1 0 0 
			 357 Tameside 5 3 1 
			 358 Trafford 4 3 1 
			 359 Wigan 5 2 1 
			 370 Barnsley 5 4 5 
			 371 Doncaster 7 5 4 
			 372 Rotherham 3 1 1 
			 373 Sheffield 9 6 7 
			 380 Bradford 10 8 7 
			 381 Calderdale 2 3 3 
			 382 Kirklees 6 4 2 
			 383 Leeds 12 10 10 
			 384 Wakefield 4 1 1 
			 390 Gateshead 2 0 1 
			 391 Newcastle upon Tyne 4 3 3 
			 392 North Tyneside 2 0 0 
			 393 South Tyneside 2 0 0 
			 394 Sunderland 4 5 3 
			 800 Bath and North East Somerset 1 1 1 
			 801 City of Bristol 10 10 6 
			 802 North Somerset 0 0 1 
			 803 South Gloucestershire 0 1 1 
			 805 Hartlepool 1 1 1 
			 806 Middlesbrough 5 5 4 
			 807 Redcar and Cleveland 4 2 2 
			 808 Stockton on Tees 3 4 2 
			 810 City of Kingston-upon-Hull 7 6 5 
			 811 East Riding of Yorkshire 0 0 0 
			 812 North East Lincolnshire 7 5 2 
			 813 North Lincolnshire 3 2 1 
			 815 North Yorkshire 2 2 2 
			 816 York 1 1 0 
			 820 Bedfordshire 2 2 2 
			 821 Luton 2 2 0 
			 825 Buckinghamshire 3 6 3 
			 826 Milton Keynes 2 3 3 
			 830 Derbyshire 5 3 4 
			 831 City of Derby 3 4 4 
			 835 Dorset 1 0 0 
			 836 Poole 2 2 1 
			 837 Bournemouth 3 3 2 
			 840 Durham 7 3 3 
			 841 Darlington 2 1 1 
			 845 East Sussex 4 4 4 
			 846 Brighton and Hove 1 2 1 
			 850 Hampshire 4 7 5 
			 851 Portsmouth 3 4 4 
			 852 Southampton 5 6 3 
			 855 Leicestershire 0 0 0 
			 856 Leicester City 6 6 5 
			 857 Rutland 0 0 0 
			 860 Staffordshire 5 5 3 
			 861 Stoke-on-Trent 7 6 4 
			 865 Wiltshire 2 1 0 
			 866 Swindon 1 1 0 
			 867 Bracknell Forest 1 0 0 
			 868 Windsor and Maidenhead 0 0 0 
			 869 West Berkshire 0 0 0 
			 870 Reading 2 1 1 
			 871 Slough 5 2 1 
			 872 Wokingham 1 0 0 
			 873 Cambridgeshire 2 1 1 
			 874 Peterborough 4 3 1 
			 875 Cheshire 7 6 4 
			 876 Halton 1 2 1 
			 877 Warrington 0 1 1 
			 878 Devon 2 1 2 
			 879 Plymouth 6 6 6 
			 880 Torbay 1 1 0 
			 881 Essex 15 13 11 
			 882 Southend 4 2 1 
			 883 Thurrock 3 1 3 
			 884 Herefordshire 1 1 0 
			 885 Worcestershire 3 2 1 
			 886 Kent 32 35 26 
			 887 Medway 7 6 6 
			 888 Lancashire 16 10 8 
			 889 Blackburn 0 2 1 
			 890 Blackpool 4 1 0 
			 891 Nottinghamshire 11 6 6 
			 892 Nottingham City 12 11 7 
			 893 Shropshire 0 0 0 
			 894 Telford and Wrekin 4 6 4 
			 908 Cornwall 0 0 0 
			 909 Cumbria 8 4 8 
			 916 Gloucestershire 6 6 7 
			 919 Hertfordshire 6 4 3 
			 921 Isle of Wight 0 0 0 
			 925 Lincolnshire 23 16 12 
			 926 Norfolk 7 8 7 
			 928 Northamptonshire 7 6 6 
			 929 Northumberland 1 1 1 
			 931 Oxfordshire 3 3 1 
			 933 Somerset 0 2 2 
			 935 Suffolk 1 2 2 
			 936 Surrey 2 2 1 
			 937 Warwickshire 5 3 1 
			 938 West Sussex 3 2 1 
			 Total  608 500 376

Gifted Children

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teachers have been trained as lead teachers for gifted and talented education in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The training programme for lead teachers in gifted and talented education began to be rolled out in September 2007. It is intended that every secondary school will have a lead teacher and that small groups of primary schools will share a lead teacher, though they can choose to have one of their own.
	Data on numbers undertaking the initial face-to-face sessions will not be available until March 2008. Survey evidence suggests training is under way in over 80 per cent. of local authorities, though with some variation in the proportion of schools so far engaged.
	The national strategies are monitoring participation carefully and, through local authorities, will strongly encourage all schools to participate.

ICT: National Vocational Qualifications

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils sat a GNVQ in information technology in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The information available can be found in the following table, which is also published in the SFR GCSE and Equivalent Examination Results in England 2006/07 (Revised), which is available on the Department's website here:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000768/index.shtml
	These figures are based on results in GNVQs rather than attempts. Information on the number of pupils attempting these qualifications is not held centrally.
	
		
			  Time series of results in GNVQs in information technology 1996-97 to 2006-07 
			   Part I GNVQ  Full GNVQ 
			   Intermediate  Full  Intermediate  Full 
			 1996-97   15 31 
			 1997-98 756 93 24 3 
			 1998-99 1,270 245 199 22 
			 1999-2000 1,909 277 294 41 
			 2000-01 3,003 425 490 21 
			 2001-02 17,174 2,278 10,825 316 
			 2002-03 26,498 2,527 24,485 50 
			 2003-04   34,681 938 
			 2004-05   44,769 1,059 
			 2005-06   54,476 924 
			 2006-07   44,125 548 
			  Note: 1. Figures from 2004-05 based on pupils at the end of Key Stage 4; figures for earlier years are based on 15-year-old pupils (age at start of academic year).  2. All figures are final, except 2005-06 and 2006-07, which are revised, figures for earlier years are based on 15-year-old pupils (age at start of academic year). 
		
	
	GNVQs represent a very limited percentage of the overall A* to C grades. Their contribution to the national overall pass rate in 2007 (60.3 per cent.) was just 3.3 percentage points. The contribution of academic GCSEs was 51.9 percentage points. The contribution of all GCSEs (including vocational GCSEs and short courses) was 53.9 percentage points. GNVQs have now been phased out. The last cohort sat the examination last summer. GNVQs will disappear from the Achievement and Attainment Tables from 2008.

Literacy

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of 11 and 16 year olds who were functionally illiterate in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: We do not have a measure of functional literacy. Although level 4 is the target that we expect children to reach by the end of primary school, at level 3 pupils can read a range of texts accurately and independently; and their writing is organised, legible and clear. Figures show that 93 per cent. of 11-year-olds achieved at least level 3 in English in 2007. Of the 7 per cent. of children not reaching level 3, many will have special educational needs which make the achievement of level 3 or level 4 in English a very challenging target.
	Information on the attainment of pupils in Key Stage 2 English tests is shown in the table:
	
		
			   Percentage of pupils at each  l evel   
			  Date  A  T/D  B  N  W  1  2  3  4  5  6  Total  Percentage at  l evel 4 or above  Percentage at  l evel 5 or above 
			 1996 4 0 () 0 0 1 7 39 41 7 0 100 49 7 
			 1996 3 0  2 0 1 6 30 45 12 0 100 57 12 
			 1997 3 0 4 2 (1) (1) 1 26 48 16 0 100 63 16 
			 1998 2 0 4 2 (1) (1) 1 26 48 17 0 100 65 17 
			 1999 2 0 3 2 (1) (1) 1 20 48 22 0 100 71 22 
			 2000 2 0 3 2 (1) (1) 1 17 46 29 0 100 75 29 
			 2001 1 1 3 2 (1) (1) 1 17 46 29 0 100 75 29 
			 2002 1 1 3 2 (1) (1) 1 17 46 29 0 100 75 29 
			 2003 1 1 3 2 (1) (1) 1 16 48 27 (1) 100 75 27 
			 2004 1 0 4 2 (1) (1) 1 14 50 27 (1) 100 78 27 
			 2005 1 0 4 2 (1) (1) 1 14 52 27 (1) 100 79 27 
			 2006 1 0 4 1 (1) (1) 1 14 47 32 (1) 100 79 32 
			 2007 1 0 4 1   1 13 47 34 (1) 100 80 34 
			 (1 )Levels W and 1 were valid in 1995 and 1996 only, Level 6 was valid from 1995-2002 only. Arepresents pupils who were absent Trepresents pupils working at the level of the assessment but unable to access the test Drepresents pupils disapplied from teacher assessment Brepresents pupils who were assessed by teacher assessment only. Nrepresents pupils who took the tests but failed to register a Level Wrepresents pupils who are working towards Level 1 but have not yet achieved the standards needed for Level 1. Data cover all schools entering pupils for KS2 tests 
		
	
	There is no comparable nationally expected level of achievement in literacy for 16-year-olds (pupils at the end of Key Stage 4). The Government's current public service agreement target is for 60 per cent. of 16-year-olds to achieve five good GCSE grades (A*-C) or equivalent by 2008. Figures for 2007 published on 9 January show that this target has been met. But we are raising the bar and in future the target for the end of Key Stage 4 will be measured against the proportion of pupils achieving five grades A*-C or equivalent, including GCSE English and mathematics. The figures for pupils in England achieving this standard for each year since 1998 are given as follows:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 1998 37.0 
			 1999 38.6 
			 2000 40.0 
			 2001 40.7 
			 2002 42.1 
			 2003 41.9 
			 2004 42.6 
			 2005 44.3 
			 2006 45.3 
			 2007 460 
		
	
	In 2007 60.0 per cent. of pupils in England achieved at least Grade C in GCSE English compared with 53.2 per cent. in 1998.

London Academy Edgware

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of student attainment at the London Academy; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: In 2007, 54.6 per cent. of pupils at the London Academy achieved five or more passes at grades A-G in their GCSEs. This represents an increase of 3.7 percentage points over results for 2006significantly higher than the national improvement rate of 2.6 percentage points.
	When English and maths are included, 39.1 per cent. of pupils achieved five or more passes at grades A*-Can increase of 7.1 percentage points over results for 2006nearly four times the national improvement rate of 1.8 percentage points.

Music: General Certificate of Secondary Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many maintained mainstream schools do not offer music at GCSE.

Jim Knight: The Department for Children, Schools and Families does not hold information on the subjects each school offers at GCSE.

Primary Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families by what date English local authorities must submit their plans for primary school reorganisation; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: To access funding for the primary capital programme, English local authorities must submit by 16 June 2008 a primary strategy for change. This document must set out how they will use available funding strategically to renew at least half of all primary schools by 2022-23. Guidance issued on 8 December 2007 states that the strategy should take into account the views and aspirations of local stakeholders and support the delivery of the national policy objectives set out in the Children's Plan. It will be for local authorities to determine whether this will require any reorganisation of primary school provision and, if so, to publish statutory proposals at the appropriate time.

Primary Education: Isle of Wight

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what discussions he has had with the Isle of Wight council on possible Government intervention should existing primary schools not be closed.

Jim Knight: No Ministers or officials from the Department of-Children, Schools and Families have had any discussions with the Isle of Wight council about intervention should existing primary schools not be closed under current reorganisation proposals.

Pupil Exclusions

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what number and proportion of pupils  (a) entitled to and  (b) not entitled to free school meals were given a fixed period exclusion from school in the latest year for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many pupils who had English as an additional language received a fixed period exclusion in the most recent period for which figures are available;
	(3)  what proportion of pupils given a fixed period exclusion were in schools with  (a) more and  (b) less than 50 per cent. of pupils with English as an additional language;
	(4)  what proportion of pupils given fixed period exclusions were in secondary schools with  (a) fewer than 1,000,  (b) more than 1,000 and  (c) more than 1,500 pupils in the latest year for which figures are available;
	(5)  in how many schools more than 20 per cent. of pupils have received more than one fixed period exclusion;
	(6)  how many pupils received more than 15 fixed period exclusions in the latest year for which the data are available.

Jim Knight: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate costs.

Pupils: English Language

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils speak English as an additional language, broken down by their first language.

Jim Knight: The requested information is not held centrally.
	As part of the School Census, schools are required to record first language data to identify those pupils whose first language is known or believed to be other than English; known or believed to be English; or unclassified. This information was published in the Statistical First Release: Schools and Pupils in England, and is provided in the table.
	From January 2007, where a pupil's first language is not English, schools were given the option of using the short code list (as presented in the table) or the extended language code set (which consists of over 300 language codes). Not all schools have chosen to use the extended language codes. Therefore the Department does not hold complete data for actual first language.
	
		
			  Maintained primary, secondary and all special schools( 1,2,3) : Number and percentage of pupils by first language, as at January 2007England 
			   Pupils of compulsory school age and above 
			   Primary schools( 1)  Secondary schools( 1)  Special Schools( 2) 
			   Number of pupils  Percentage of pupils( 4)  Number of pupils  Percentage of pupils( 4)  Number of pupils  Percentage of pupils( 4) 
			 First language is known or believed to be other than English 447,480 13.5 342,240 10.5 8,390 9.9 
			 First language is known or believed to English 2,855,830 86.4 2,924,050 89.5 76,280 90.1 
			 Unclassified(5) 1,070 0.0 1,860 0.1 20 0.0 
			 Total(6) 3,304,370 100.0 3,268,160 100.0 84,680 100.0 
			 (1 )Includes middle schools as deemed.  (2 )Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. Excludes General Hospital Schools.  (3) Excludes dually registered pupils.  (4 )The number of pupils by their first language expressed as a percentage of the number of pupils of compulsory school age and above.  (5) Information was not sought or revised.  (6 )Pupils of compulsory school age and above.   Note:  Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. There may be discrepancies between the sum of constituent items and totals as shown.   Source: School Census.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was spent on average per pupil in  (a) state schools and  (b) private schools in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The information requested is set out in the following table. As my Department does not collect information for the independent sector, information for independent day school fees are taken from the Independent Schools Council (ISC) Census.
	
		
			  Per pupil funding 
			  Cash () 
			   (a)  (b) 
			   State schools  Independent day schools: average annual day feesacademic year 
			   R evenue and capital fundingfinancial year  ISC's old methodology  ISC's new methodology 
			 2002-03 3,650 6,550  
			 2003-04 4,100 7,300  
			 2004-05 4,400 7,650  
			 2005-06 4,750 8,150  
			 2006-07 5,100 8,800 8,100 
			  Notes: 1. Independent school figures taken from the Independent Schools Council (ISC) Census. 2. ISC figures are on an academic year basis while state school funding is on a financial year basis. 3. In 2006-07, the ISC introduced a new methodology for calculating average fees. Both are shown. 4. Figures rounded to nearest 50. 
		
	
	As set out in Budget 2006, it is the Government's aim, over time and adjusting for inflation, to increase levels of maintained school funding to average private sector day school levels in that year, 2005-06. Our private sector target is an estimated 8,000 per pupil in independent day schools in 2005-06 compared with total revenue and capital funding per pupil in the maintained sector of 4,750. We have so far increased maintained sector funding to 5,550 per pupil this year, which is 5,300 in real terms at 2005-06 prices.
	As a result of the comprehensive spending review settlement for education, total per pupil revenue and capital funding will rise to 6,600 in 2010-11, or 5,750 per pupil in real terms at 2005-06 prices. This means that between 2005-06 and the end of the CSR period we will have raised maintained sector funding by 1,000 per pupil in real terms, equivalent to closing the gap with the private sector target by 30 per cent.
	Progress over future spending reviews will depend on the Government's fiscal position; demographic change; and progress by schools in continuing to deliver improvements in results and wider support for parents and pupils.
	Budget 2006 also announced a separate commitment to close the gap between the state sector and private sector levels of per pupil capital investment. The schools capital settlement for 2008-11 fully closes this gap by providing for maintained sector capital investment to rise to 1,110 per pupil by 2010-11 which is in line with 2005-06 private sector levels, adjusted for inflation.

School Meals: Norfolk

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many school dinners were served in Norfolk schools in each of the last 12 months.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested is not collected by this Department. The School Food Trust carries out an annual survey of school meal take-up. The second annual survey was conducted in April 2007; and a further survey will take place in 2008. The information collected is collated by region not by local authority.

Schools: Admissions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his latest projections are of pupil numbers in  (a) secondary schools and  (b) primary schools in each local authority area in each year until 2025; what pupil numbers were in each category in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department has published short-term forecasts of local authority pupil numbers which are used to underpin the indicative allocation of the Dedicated School Grant (DSG) over the three years of the CSR period to 2010-11, These forecasts are broken down into three age groupings: under-fives, five-10 and 11 to 15-year-olds and are available on teachernet at:
	http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/_doc/12223/DSG_Pupil_Projections_2008-11_23_Nov.xls
	The available information on the number of pupils at primary and secondary schools in each local authority is published annually by the Department. From 2005 the figures can be found in the Statistical First Release DCSF: Schools and Pupils in England, the latest of which can be accessed at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000744/index.shtml.
	Figures for 2004 and earlier were published in the Statistical Volume Statistics of Education Schools in England 2004 Edition, which can be accessed at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000495/index.shtml.
	Equivalent publications are available for earlier years. Copies of both the forecasts and pupil numbers have been placed in the House Library.

Schools: Admissions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many surplus places there are in each local authority in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department collects information from each local authority on the number of surplus places through an annual survey. The most recent published data relate to the position at January 2007 and show the breakdown of surplus places by local authority in primary and secondary schools. The data are available at http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/management/fallingschoolrolls/context/stats/ and a copy has been placed in the Library.

Schools: Admissions

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what options other than closing schools are available to local education authorities to address an excess of school places.

Jim Knight: Surplus school places can represent a poor use of resources. Local authorities must examine the benefits and drawbacks of redeploying resources tied up in surplus school places for the wider benefit of pupils in the area.
	Individual authorities must determine how to reduce levels of surplus places, but reducing surplus need not always mean school closures. Capacity can be reduced by removing temporary accommodation, consolidating split-site schools, or by rationalising school space. Rationalisation can involve adapting accommodation for alternative use and broadening the services their schools offer in line with the likely future pattern of children's services and the needs of local communities. We also encourage schools to pool resources through working more closely together either through federation or close collaboration.
	Advice on the range of options available to local authorities to tackle primary falling rolls can be found at www.teachernet.gov.uk/management/fallingschool rolls/ and a copy has been placed in the House Library.

Schools: Armed Forces

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether the annual School Census in 2008 will include collection of data on children of families in military service.

Jim Knight: The School Census is on a termly basis and is carried out in spring, summer and autumn.
	A data item new for 2008 is being collected, namely 'Service Children in Education Indicator'; which indicates if a child has a parent or parents who are service personnel, serving in regular HM Forces military units of all forces and exercising parental care and responsibility; This data item is collected in the spring census only.

Schools: Flags

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance his Department provides to schools on the display of flags.

Jim Knight: No guidance has been issued to schools on this issue. Schools are free to fly the Union flag on any day they choose, but it is for individual schools to decide whether to do so or not.

Schools: Rural Areas

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps are being taken to safeguard effective rural school provision.

Jim Knight: Local authorities, as commissioners of educational services, are responsible for planning school places in their area. They have a duty to ensure that there is sufficient supply to meet local needs, and that high quality education is provided in a cost effective way.
	Because we recognise that rural schools play an important role within their local communities we have taken, and will continue to take, measures to support both schools and communities in rural areas. For example, in 1998 we introduced a presumption against closing rural primary schools which means that, although we cannot guarantee that no rural school will ever close, the case for closure needs to be strong and clearly in the best interests of education provision in the area. In the Education and Inspections Act 2006 we introduced a statutory duty on those proposing to close a rural primary school to consult parents of pupils registered at the school; the district council for the area in which the school is situated; if the local authority is a county council, any parish council for the area in which the school is situated; and any other relevant person(s).

Science: General Certificate of Secondary Education

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many and what percentage of children gained GCSE above grade C in mathematics, science or science related subjects in  (a) England and  (b) the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in each year since 1997;
	(2)  in how many schools in Newcastle upon Tyne  (a) under 20 per cent.,  (b) under 30 per cent. and  (c) under 40 per cent. of children gained five or more A* to C grade GCSEs including English and mathematics in (i) 2004-05, (ii) 2005-06 and (iii) 2007-08; and what percentage of the GCSE candidates in Newcastle local education authority attended those schools in each year;
	(3)  how many and what percentage of children in local education authority maintained schools left school with  (a) no qualifications and  (b) no GCSEs above grade D in each local education authority in the North East of England in each year since 2001.

Jim Knight: The information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Secondary Education: Free School Meals

Stephen Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils in the first year of secondary education in  (a) England and  (b) each local education authority were entitled to free school meals in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The available information has been placed in the House Library. This shows the number and percentage of pupils following national curriculum year 7 (the usual year of entry to secondary education) known to be eligible for free school meals.

Secondary Education: Standards

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of school leavers in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2007 attained GCSE grade A in (i) English language and (ii) mathematics; and what proportion of school leavers attained grade A in each subject at O-Level in the last year of that examination.

Jim Knight: The information required to answer the first part of the question is in the following table.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   1996-97  2006-07 
			   A*  A  A*  A 
			 English Language 1.7 7.4 4,2 12.2 
			 Mathematics 1.5 6.7 4.7 10.9 
			  Notes: 1 The 1996-97 figures relate to pupils aged 15 at the start of the academic year, i.e. 31 August 1996.  2 The 2006-07 figures relate to all pupils at the end of Key Stage 4. 
		
	
	The last academic year O-levels were taken was 1986-87.
	O-level results are not available by grade for each subject; results were published giving the number of pupils achieving O-level grades A-G or GSE grade 1. The proportions for 1986-87 are given in the following table as well as the percentage of pupils achieving GCSE grades A-C in 2006-07:
	
		
			  Proportion/ Percentage 
			   1986-87  2006-07 
			 English Language 46.2% 58.7% 
			 Mathematics 37.1% 53.5% 
			  Sources:  1. The 1986-87 figures were taken from 'Statistics of LeaversCSE and GCEISSN 0266-2728.  2. The 1996-97 figures were taken from 'Statistics of EducationPublic Examinations, GCSE/GNVQ and GCE in England, 1997' - ISBN 0-11-271037-9.  3. The 2006-2007 figures have been derived from the achievement and attainment tables and taken from the revised 2007 SFR, published on 9 January 2008, found at the following link: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000768/index.shtml

Secondary Education: Teaching Methods

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  when every secondary school pupil will have a personal tutor throughout their school years;
	(2)  what funding will be provided to enable every secondary school pupil to have a personal tutor throughout their school years;
	(3)  what plans there are to give every secondary school pupil a personal tutor throughout their school years.

Jim Knight: Personal tutors will be members of staff who take responsibility for monitoring the academic and personal development of individual pupils in the round; working with their parents and other professionals to co-ordinate a tailored package of support which helps all pupils make the best possible progress. The tutors were announce in the Children's Plan, and build on recommendations made in 2020 Visionthe report of the Teaching and Learning in 2020 Review led by Christine Gilbert and published in January 2007that every secondary school pupil should have a 'learning guide'.
	Our aim is that every secondary school pupil will have access to a personal tutor by the end of the Comprehensive Spending Review period (March 2011). Funding for personal tutors is provided within schools' base budgets, via local authorities, through the Dedicated Schools Grant's Personalised Learning strand. The 2008-11 CSR provides 1.6 billion within schools' base budgets to ensure that schools have the capacity to deliver Personalised Learning as a whole, including personal tutors.
	This work is in the planning and research stage. We are currently undertaking a programme of school visits to inform potential delivery models and decisions about piloting.

Special Educational Needs

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children aged  (a) 1 year,  (b) 2 years,  (c) 3 years,  (d) 4 years and  (e) 5 years were identified as having a special educational need in each year since 2001, broken down by local authority.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Specialised Diplomas

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the proportion of young people who will be studying for diplomas in 2013; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Initial modelling suggests that around one in four 14 to 19-year-old learners will be undertaking one of the first 14 diplomas from September 2013. This is not a target, but a working model to help with planning, and it will be updated regularly to reflect current information.

Specialist Schools: Barnet

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which schools in Barnet have specialist status; what the specialisms are in each case; what funding was made available to each in the latest period for which figures are available; what outstanding applications for specialist status there are from schools in Barnet; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the information requested. There are 19 maintained secondary schools in Barnet local authority, 18 of which have specialist status. There are no outstanding applications for specialist status.
	The Government remain committed to the Specialist Schools Programme as a means of raising attainment and achievement for all secondary aged pupils.
	
		
			  School  Main specialism  Second specialism  Leading option  Total grant allocated () 
			 Ashmole school Science Music  215,271 
			 Bishop Douglass school, Finchley Science   58,032 
			 Christ's college, Finchley MC   124,872 
			 Copthall school BE Language  219,000 
			 East Barnet school Technology   134,289 
			 Finchley Catholic high school BE   129,000 
			 Friern Barnet school Arts   98,169 
			 Hasmonean high school BE   129,000 
			 Hendon school Language   166,740 
			 Mapledown school SEN Cognition and Learning   (1)0 
			 Mill Hill county high school Technology   194,016 
			 Oak Lodge school SEN Cognition and Learning   35,000 
			 Queen Elizabeth's Girls' school Arts   129,000 
			 Queen Elizabeth's school, Barnet Music   129,000 
			 St James' Catholic high school Science and sports   129,000 
			 St Michael's Catholic grammar school Language   125,202 
			 The Compton school Technology  Training school 169,521 
			 The Henrietta Barnett school Music   54,522 
			 The Ravenscroft school and technology college Technology   113,133 
			 Whitefield school Sports   104,748 
			 (1) Designated from 1 September 2008. Will receive 35,000 in 2008-09.

Staff in Schools: Enfield

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many teachers have been employed in Enfield, North constituency in each of the last 10 years; and how many were employed in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools;
	(2)  how many teaching assistants have been employed in the London borough of Enfield in each of the last 10 years; and how many were employed in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools.

Jim Knight: The following table provides the full-time equivalent number of teachers employed in local authority maintained nursery/primary and secondary schools in Enfield, North constituency and England, January 1998 to 2007.
	
		
			  Full-time equivalent number of teachers employed in local authority maintained nursery/primary and secondary schools in Enfield, North constituency and England: January 1998 to 2007 
			   Teachers 
			   Nursery/Primary  Secondary 
			  January of each year  Enfield, North constituency  England  Enfield, North constituency  England 
			 1998 380 184,480 560 184,470 
			 1999 380 185,800 560 186,310 
			 2000 400 187,000 560 188,380 
			 2001 410 189,690 570 193,340 
			 2002 430 193,090 600 200,450 
			 2003 420 191,090 610 203,920 
			 2004 430 188,740 620 205,820 
			 2005 430 188,110 650 209,040 
			 2006 460 190,480 660 210,610 
			 2007 440 190,290 680 210,220 
			  Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source:  School Census 
		
	
	The following table provides the full-time equivalent number of teaching assistants employed in local authority maintained nursery/primary and secondary schools employed in the London borough of Enfield and England: January 1998 to 2007.
	
		
			  Full-time equivalent number of teaching assistants employed in local authority maintained nursery/primary and secondary schools in the London borough of Enfield local authority and England: January 1998 to 2007 
			   Teaching Assistants( 1) 
			   Nursery/Primary  Secondary 
			  January of each year  London borough of Enfield  England  London borough of Enfield  England 
			 1998 200 44,830 10 8,970 
			 1999 200 46,650 20 10,590 
			 2000 390 53,380 30 12,450 
			 2001 460 65,500 30 15,470 
			 2002 610 71,780 90 19,530 
			 2003 650 82,280 100 22,260 
			 2004 720 89,160 110 25,340 
			 2005 770 97,910 140 29,980 
			 2006 840 99,040 170 33,490 
			 2007 940 105,770 190 35,650 
			 (1) Teaching assistant figures include special needs support staff and minority ethnic pupil support staff.  Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source:  School Census

Teachers

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his Department's definition of a bad teacher is.

Jim Knight: Performance management arrangements, introduced for teachers in England, in September 2007, are designed to establish a clear and consistent process of planning and assessment so that teachers and head teachers understand what is expected of them, and that support teachers and head teachers in addressing their professional development needs. The revised arrangements introduce a more structured approach to the planning meeting at the beginning of the year, including clarity about how performance will be assessed at the end.
	In order for performance management to operate in a fair and transparent way, teachers must know what is required of them before any assessment can be made. The framework of professional standards for teachers, introduced in September 2007, helps to provide this context. The standards are statements of a teacher's professional attributes; professional knowledge and understanding, and professional skills. They provide clarity of the expectations at each career stage and support teachers in identifying their professional development needs. The framework for standards will, therefore, provide a backdrop to the revised performance management arrangements.
	Effective management, clear expectations and appropriate support are key factors in addressing weaknesses in performance. Ongoing professional dialogue will enable any such issues to be identified early, thereby avoiding the need for formal capability procedures in most cases. Where a teacher's capability is still in question after all normal avenues have been exhausted then formal capability procedures should be instigated, in line with locally agreed practice.

Teachers: Stress

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many days of teacher absence were caused by stress-related illnesses in each local education authority in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not available by type of illness.